Overview

• Waymo began carrying passengers on the formerly car‑free stretch Tuesday under set hours, with Uber Black and Lyft Black permitted overnight in seven marked loading zones.
• SFMTA says it will monitor safety outcomes, demand and customer feedback and could adjust the number of vehicles, operating windows or zone locations.
• Advocacy groups including Walk San Francisco, Streets Forward and the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition staged protests and cited data showing fewer crashes and faster Muni since the 2020 car restrictions.
• Merchants and business groups welcomed added access, and Uber said the move could help bring new energy back to downtown.
• Early rollout concerns included reports from advocates of private cars slipping onto Market Street and interfering with Muni service, alongside taxi industry objections over equity and displacement.