Uber plans to introduce a taxi service soon. the section of Market Street without cars In the upcoming days, as stated in a letter that a senior executive from the technology firm dispatched to one of Mayor Daniel Lurie’s principal advisors on Monday.
The relocation took place a month following Lurie’s permission. Waymo To chart the central city streets for their autonomous cars, a controversial decision This might add more traffic to a roadway exclusively meant for cyclists, public transport, and taxis.
The status of Waymo’s autonomous taxis within this category of approved vehicles has sparked considerable discussion. Competitors of Waymo have alleged that Lurie provided the company with preferential treatment. Additionally, transit advocates and cyclists have objected, viewing this move as an attempt to prioritize automobiles over alternative modes of transportation. However, employees at Lurie’s office argue that since Waymo rides function like taxi services, they ought to be allowed on car-free Market Street from the beginning.
Currently, high-ranking officials at Uber aim to implement similar strategies for commercial rideshares — beginning with Uber’s service that allows passengers to schedule trips via professionally licensed cabs, and swiftly moving towards including Uber Black premium vehicles as well.
Although Uber had "faithfully adhered" to the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency board’s decision in 2019 to prohibit personal vehicles from Market Street east of 10th Street, Uber’s leadership informed Lurie that they were caught off guard when he extended this allowance to Waymo over those same two miles.
"Such favoritism is highly troubling," Uber’s senior vice president of communications and public policy, Jill Hazelbaker, stated in a letter addressed to Lurie on April 10th. In response to Lurie mentioning the urgent need to revitalize downtown as his reason behind the alteration, Uber’s leadership latched onto that justification.
"If your objective is to revitalize downtown, excluding Uber drivers isn’t pragmatic since they facilitate over triple the daily rides compared to Waymo, all while being much cheaper and offering quicker pickups," Hazelbaker stated in his April correspondence.
In her follow-up message to Ned Segal, who leads Lurie’s financial strategies, sent on Monday, she suggested pausing the launch of Uber Black, the company's premium rideshare option, and instead beginning with regular taxi services. Uber initiated its taxi service as an experiment two years prior but directed these taxis away from pedestrian-only Market Street.
According to Hazelbaker, this move was "a gesture of respect towards the mayor." The Uber leadership intends to hold off on rolling out Uber Black vehicles along all stretches of Market Street until after Waymo completes its mapping process.
Hazelbaker stated that "the aim is for everyone, including Waymo, Uber (as well as Lyft and others), to be able to initiate ride services simultaneously by acknowledging Waymo's mapping deployment."
A representative from Uber stated in an official release that the firm aligns with Lurie’s aim to rejuvenate the central business district of San Francisco.
"We're dedicated to working alongside the City and drivers to guarantee equitable access on Market Street for the foreseeable future," according to the statement.
Lurie indicated he wouldn't obstruct Uber's goals, at least for the present time. According to Charles Lutvak, the mayor's spokesman, a statement revealed that San Francisco "cannot anticipate a recovery in downtown areas if Market Street continues to remain desolate. We are carefully considering the most effective strategies to bring people back into these spaces."
“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,” Lutvak said.
Advocates for public transportation and pedestrian safety saw Uber’s decision as the latest in a series of encroachments that could lead to a full return of automobiles to Market.
I am deeply worried about Uber reintroducing vehicles onto Market Street," stated public transit supporter Cyrus Hall. "In my view, ensuring everyone in the city can reach downtown depends on having enough readily available public transportation. This should be our priority. It’s crucial that commuters from every part of the city have easy access to the Market Street area.
Hall, who served as the campaign manager for a failed 2024 ballot initiative aimed at taxing ride-hailing services like Uber and Lyft to support public transportation, stated that permitting additional vehicles on Market Street, such as autonomous taxis, would likely "deteriorate" the quality of Muni service along the street.
"The inclusion of Uber has merely led us back to the days when Market Street was overcrowded and difficult to navigate," Hall stated.
However, certain establishments on Market Street that have faced challenges due to the start of the pandemic have consistently urged Lurie to bring back vehicular traffic, encompassing rideshares.
The world has evolved since the initial creation of the car-free Market Street, making it worth reconsideration," stated Fernando Pujals, deputy director of the Mid-Market Business Association and Foundation. "We don't think there's an easy solution, but...it would be beneficial for us to attempt reintroducing vehicles. We've received feedback from our members indicating their interest in this change; therefore, we support moves toward that end.
Pujals mentioned that his team aimed for the city to introduce alterations on Market Street focusing primarily on enhancing public safety. He believes that increasing automobile traffic might aid in revitalizing the area alongside initiatives such as hosting additional community events and promoting local engagement within Mid-Market and downtown regions.
"All of these elements functioning cohesively," he stated, conveying optimism that the city might hasten the slow resurgence of its central business district.
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