San Diego City Council Urges State Control Over Autonomous Vehicle Deployment and Airport Access
The San Diego City Council has unanimously approved a resolution urging the California Legislature and Governor Gavin Newsom to grant local authorities control over the deployment of autonomous vehicles (AVs) within their jurisdictions. The resolution, passed with an 8-0 vote, also seeks protections for drivers whose jobs may be impacted by AV technology and specifically calls on the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority to prohibit AVs from operating at San Diego International Airport. This action comes as multiple tech companies, including Alphabet-owned Waymo, Amazon subsidiary Zoox, and potentially Tesla, are expanding or beginning to test their robotaxi services in San Diego. Waymo has already launched its service to early-access customers in a 40-square-mile area of central San Diego, excluding the airport. Currently, AVs in California are regulated by state agencies such as the Department of Motor Vehicles and the Public Utilities Commission, which issue permits and oversee operations, rather ...
