Minneapolis council approves robotaxi regulation, mayor pledges veto
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Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said he will veto an ordinance City Council passed Thursday that would require human safety monitors in driverless rideshare vehicles.
“Requiring a driver in a driverless car doesn’t make sense,” Frey said in a statement. “Minneapolis is open for business, open to innovative technology, and open to a variety of transportation options. Thoughtful regulation for safety is necessary, but not through a backdoor ban.”
The Minneapolis City Council narrowly approved the ordinance earlier on Thursday on a 7-6 vote, not enough support to overcome a mayoral veto. Proponents argue the measure is necessary to protect thousands of rideshare jobs.
The robotaxi industry is booming nationwide, and the most widely known driverless rideshare vehicle operator — Waymo — has already been testing its fleet in the Twin Cities.
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Supporters of autonomous vehicles say welcoming the industry in Minnesota would boost the economy, provide greater consumer choice, prevent drivers from discriminating against disabled riders, and increase safety. Those advocates — and Waymo itself — argued that the city ordinance will stifle the service in Minneapolis.
“At the end of the day, this boils down to safety,” council member Jamison Whiting said before voting against the ordinance Thursday.
Whiting said the data is clear: his research convinced him that autonomous vehicles are far safer than human drivers.
Critics see the emerging industry as the latest Big Tech attack on labor — and worry driverless cars actually introduce new safety, public nuisance and privacy concerns.
“Immigrant workers have come to me and said that this is an existential threat to them,” council member Aurin Chowdhury said Thursday. A majority of rideshare drivers in Minnesota are immigrants, according to state data.
At the Minnesota Capitol this spring there was bipartisan agreement that statewide regulation was needed, but disagreement about the safety of the vehicles and their impact on the local economy ultimately tanked efforts to pass legislation. That has left cities in the lurch to deal with driverless cars themselves, but it’s unclear if local governments have the legal authority to do so.
Progressives on the Minneapolis City Council championed the ordinance now headed to the mayor’s desk, which would require human safety monitors in autonomous vehicles. Skeptics of that proposal have scoffed at the concept of drivers in driverless cars — but advocates argue without that requirement, thousands of rideshare drivers could be put out of work.
“Automation has a demonstrated track record of leading to job displacement,” council member Robin Wonsley said during a Tuesday committee meeting. “I would hope we all want to make sure workers are not displaced as a result of us making sure we’re making technological strides in our city.”
The ordinance would also require that the human safety monitor have a driver’s license and that the monitor be paid minimum wage. Supporters also argue the measure gives the city more time to study the issue of autonomous vehicles because — if passed — the ordinance wouldn’t go into effect until October 2027.
Council member Elizabeth Shaffer, who opposed the ordinance, said Thursday that it didn’t make sense to advance a proposal before the council receives a report from city legislative staff about the robotaxi industry and how it could impact Minneapolis. That report is due to the council’s zoning committee Monday.
A spokesperson for Frey said before Thursday’s vote that he considers the ordinance “a bait for the state to come in and pre-empt us.” Frey has pushed for the state to take the lead on autonomous vehicle regulation instead.
While Waymo continues test-driving its fleet in the Twin Cities — with humans behind the wheel, and not yet taking customers — it’s not clear when the company might launch its rideshare service here.
A spokesperson for Waymo previously said that the proposed Minneapolis ordinance goes too far, and would limit the company’s ability to operate in the city.
