Pedestrian advocates protest Waymo, rideshares operating on Market Street in SF

SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — Rideshare companies are now allowed to operate on one of San Francisco’s busiest streets. Pedestrian safety advocates protested against the return to Market Street — the day Waymo began picking up passengers on Market Street Tuesday.

Places like Blick Art Materials on 6th Street are now open to people who want to get picked up by a Waymo or other rideshare service. However, safety advocates say this is putting pedestrians and cyclists at risk.

Waymo and a limited number of Uber and “Lyft Back” vehicles are now allowed back on San Francisco’s Market Street. However, the new rule was met with opposition.

“Market Street has been so much better without cars — so much safer,” said San Francisco cyclist Claire Bonham-Carter.

Since private cars were banned on the thoroughfare in 2020, traffic injuries dropped by 40%, according to the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition.

“So before Market Street went car-free between 2016 and 2019, there were 82 injury crashes on Market Street every year. That’s an injury every five to five days. And that is not the world that we want to go back to,” said Christopher White of the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition.

“It feels like people have forgotten how dangerous it was and how chaotic it was, and we just can’t go back to that,” said Walk San Francisco Communications Director Marta Lindsey.

However, the change is already underway. The city has rolled out seven designated rideshare loading zones on Market Street during “off-peak” hours.

For Waymo, that is from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m.

Uber Black and Lyft Black will only operate in these zones from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m.

SFMTA plans to monitor safety data. Mayor Daniel Lurie’s office says this is all an effort to support downtown economic recovery, and some merchants hope so too.

“It just means that people have more access and opportunity to come down to the Financial District and down to the Ferry Plaza and enjoy the area,” said One Market Restaurant Sommelier & Wine Director Tonya Pitts.

Critics worry this will undo years of progress.

“Anyone with a sticker could effectively drive, and we’re not going to enforce it all,” said cyclist Finn Banks.

“We’re already seeing on day one people driving private cars on Market Street — getting in the way of Muni vehicles and breaking the law,” said Streets Forward Executive Director Luke Bornheimer.

“In the case of Waymo, vehicles are empty, so in the space of one Muni vehicle, you might have one person in two cars. That same muni vehicle can fit 60-80 people. You tell me which one will bring more people downtown and help it revitalize downtown,” Bornheimer said.

These pedestrian safety advocates say they’re still hoping Lurie will reverse this decision, and they are fearful this is just the first step to eventually making Market Street open to cars 24/7.