SF Standard – Uber taxis will roll onto Market Street against Lurie’s wishes
Editors note: allowing Waymos on Market St of course will lead to other cars as well, completely degrading transit service and safety, back to the way the street was in 1999. The new mayor sure has a lot to learn.
See original article by Josh Koehn at SF Standard
The company sent an email to the mayor’s office saying it intends to deploy taxis to the downtown thoroughfare in the coming days.
San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie is getting a firsthand lesson in the art of the ordeal.
Uber, which threatened legal action against the city after Lurie announced that Waymo robotaxis would receive near-exclusive access to car-free Market Street, plans to deploy taxis to Market Street in the coming days, according to an email obtained by The Standard.
Though Uber believes its upscale Black vehicles, which are commercially licensed, should also be allowed to begin operations on Market Street, it will hold off for the time being.
“As agreed, we will hold off on any operations along Market Street, for now,” Jill Hazelbaker, a senior vice president for Uber, wrote Monday to Lurie’s policy chief, Ned Segal. “We’re honoring that request as a sign of respect for the Mayor and what you’re trying to do downtown — and because we’re still hopeful about the potential for future collaboration.”
Hazelbaker added: “While we know the law clearly permits commercially licensed vehicles — like Uber Black — we would much rather work with the city than around it, as reflected in our proposal.”
Facing criticism on multiple fronts, Lurie’s office has been in tense discussions with Uber and Lyft about the ride-hailing companies getting access to the downtown thoroughfare. The mayor’s office has previously argued that Uber and Lyft do not meet the same threshold as Waymo to gain access to Market Street.
Last month, Uber officials threatened to sue the city and sent a proposal to the mayor’s office that did not receive a response. The company argues that its Uber Black vehicles and taxi company partners fit the definition of commercial vehicles that Lurie and city officials cited when announcing that Waymo could begin data mapping Market Street, with a plan to deploy robotaxis as soon as this summer.
Uber plans to begin Uber Black operations on Market Street when Waymo is given the go-ahead to begin dropoffs and pickups.
Hazelbaker wrote that she hopes “that by respecting Waymo’s mapping deployment the end result will be that Waymo and Uber (and Lyft, and anyone else) can launch rides at the same time.”
In a statement Tuesday evening, Charles Lutvak, a spokesperson for Lurie, did not address Uber’s latest actions.
“We can’t expect downtown to recover if we let Market Street stay empty, and we are being thoughtful and intentional about the smartest ways to get foot traffic back,” Lutvak said. “As these changes play out within existing law, we will look at the data, evaluate their impact, and make thoughtful decisions that prioritize public transit and reenergize downtown.”
An Uber spokesperson said in a statement that the company shares the mayor’s “focus on helping revitalize the downtown core of San Francisco” and is committed to “partnering with the city and drivers to ensure equal access on Market Street over the long term.”
The downtown corridor was closed off to private vehicles under the Better Market Street plan. Passed in 2019, the plan prioritized access for Muni riders while making street modifications to increase pedestrian and cyclist safety.
However, the car-free Better Market Street plan is still in Phase 1 of a three-part process. City officials had to return millions in federal funds after missing a deadline for Phase 2, which would focus on the F line streetcar track.
Lurie’s decision to allow Waymo robotaxis onto Market Street has enraged not only Uber and Lyft but safe-street advocates and the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition.
See original article by Josh Koehn at SF Standard
