Paul Wermer, CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 (@paulwermer.sfba.social.ap.brid.gy)

Let the People Decide: Give Us a Vote on Autonomous Vehicles Autonomous vehicles (AVs) have flooded San Francisco’s streets, raising serious safety and traffic concerns for residents, pedestrians, animal advocates, and local businesses. In 2025 alone, both Waymo and Zoox recalled over 1,200 vehicles due to crash risks. AVs have also blocked emergency vehicles, caused traffic jams, and created dangerous situations for people walking, biking, and driving. Ride-hailing services like Uber and Lyft already made traffic worse, accounting for about half the increase in San Francisco congestion between 2010 and 2016 and experts warn that autonomous vehicles will make this problem even bigger. More AVs mean more cars on the road, when what we really need is more investment in reliable public transit to reduce congestion and emissions. Many AVs are electric, but the metals and minerals used to build them often come from environmentally harmful mining operations that damage communities—especially Indigenous communities— and ecosystems abroad. Right now, local governments have almost no power to decide whether AVs can operate in their communities. A bill (SB 915) that would have given cities more control failed in 2024. We believe, there’s still a way. We’re calling on the California State Legislature and the Governor to give counties the right to vote on whether autonomous vehicles can operate in their areas. This would let local communities make decisions that reflect their needs and safety concerns, while also addressing state worries about intercity consistency. Sign this petition to support giving counties the power to decide if autonomous vehicles should operate on their roads. Let’s make sure the people who live here have a say in the future of our streets! https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/let-the-people-decide-give-us-a-vote-on-autonomous-vehicles?source=direct_link&