SAN FRANCISCO - San Francisco will stop robotaxis from picking up or dropping off passengers along much of its northern waterfront, and anywhere in the Presidio, during the daytime Fleet Week events this weekend, the city's transportation agency said. The limits do not apply to Uber, Lyft or taxis.
The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency said geofences, the digital boundaries that keep autonomous ride services out of set areas, would be active from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 9 to 11, "to help avoid traffic congestion and maintain pedestrian safety near the waterfront." The agency named Waymo as an example of the services affected.
The main restricted zone is bounded by Marina Boulevard, Fort Mason, Aquatic Park and Fisherman's Wharf to the north, Lyon Street between Marina and Lombard to the west, Lombard Street and North Point Street to the south, and the Embarcadero between Bay Street and Fisherman's Wharf to the east, according to the agency's Fleet Week travel advisory. Further geofences cover Van Ness Avenue between Lombard and Broadway, Bay Street between Leavenworth and the Embarcadero, and the Embarcadero between Bay and Broadway.
"Autonomous rideshare services will not be available anywhere within The Presidio," the advisory says. "Traditional rideshare providers such as Uber and Lyft and taxis will be available without geofence restrictions."
Fleet Week draws more than a million people to San Francisco each year, according to Mayor Daniel Lurie's office. The U.S. Navy Blue Angels are scheduled to fly from noon to 4 p.m. each day of the weekend, with public viewing along the Marina Green, Crissy Field and nearby beaches, and a Parade of Ships begins at 11 a.m. on Friday, the city said.
CBS News Bay Area, which reported the restriction on Monday, said it had asked Waymo for comment. The agency's advisory did not say whether the companies had agreed to the boundaries or how they would be enforced.
The move follows two episodes that city officials have cited in pressing for closer oversight of driverless cars. After the Fourth of July fireworks show this year, several robotaxis stalled in travel lanes, Muni shuttle buses were caught in the same congestion and some of the vehicles reportedly ran out of battery power, city officials and transportation advocates told CBS. Tow trucks took hours to reach the disabled cars, officials said.
During a power outage in December 2025, city officials said, they could not reach Waymo until Mr. Lurie called the company personally. At a later city meeting, Sam Cooper, a Waymo project manager, said the company "takes full responsibility for the communication gaps that occurred that evening."
California has since tightened its rules. Senate Bill 1246, which Gov. Gavin Newsom signed last week, will let cities and counties seek penalties from robotaxi companies whose vehicles block first responders, and will require operators to send local technicians to stalled or crashed vehicles, starting July 1, 2028.
