After five years, cars are coming back to Market Street.
Mayor Daniel Lurie announced Thursday that autonomous vehicles and rideshare services will begin limited passenger operations there later this month.
Starting Aug. 26, the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency will allow Waymo, Uber Black and Lyft Black to allow pick-ups and drop-offs at up to seven designated locations along Market Street during off-peak hours:
- at Mason Street, in front of IKEA
- at Sixth Street, southeast, in front of Blick
- at Taylor Street, northeast, in front of Warfield
- east of Jones Street, mid-block south, in front of Urban Alchemy
- east of Jones Street, mid-block north, in front of Prism apartments
- at Seventh Street, across from Proper Hotel
- at Eighth Street, southeast, Trinity Place and Lighthouse for the Blind
Under the initial agreement, Waymo vehicles will be permitted to operate between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. and again from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. Uber Black and Lyft Black will operate during the evening and overnight, from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m.
Private cars are still banned from the stretch of Market Street crossing downtown.
Lurie had announced in April plans to bring Waymos to Market Street, which prompted blowback from Uber and Lyft.
Officials said the pilot program will help assess safety, transportation efficiency and demand before potentially expanding service.
“The Market Street corridor is key to our city’s recovery, and by thoughtfully expanding transportation options, we are going to bring residents and visitors back to enjoy everything Market Street has to offer,” Lurie said in a press release.
The pilot program follows the city’s other initiatives to revitalize downtown, including creating five entertainment zones across the city, renewing the First Year Free program to help small businesses open by waiving initial fees, and streamlining permitting processes.
The agreement marks a sharp reversal from the city’s earlier policy barring ride-hailing pick-ups on Market Street, a restriction that long frustrated Uber and Lyft. The companies had lobbied against the 2020 ban, arguing it hurt both riders and businesses downtown, while city officials defended it as a safety measure to reduce congestion and protect cyclists and pedestrians.
Julie Kirschbaum, SFMTA’s director of transportation, said the agency is balancing dual priorities: “Keeping cyclists and pedestrians safe and ensuring Muni and emergency services run efficiently without disruption.”
Waymo executives said the move builds on months of mapping and collaboration with the city. “Our technology significantly reduces collisions where we operate,” said Nicole Gavel, Waymo’s head of business development and strategic partnerships.
Uber and Lyft echoed the mayor’s message that adding rideshare traffic will help restore foot traffic to downtown restaurants, hotels, and shops.
Some local business owners praised the plan as a long-awaited boost. “This is great news and a welcome change for Market Street small businesses, which have weathered significant challenges in the past few years and could really use a boost,” said Jeannie Kim, who owns several restaurants along the corridor.
Not everyone is thrilled, though.
The SF Bicycle Coalition has said allowing Waymo on Market Street will open "a Pandora’s box that will unleash irreversible harm." Advocates argue the move will reverse years of safety progress, warning it will slow Muni, endanger cyclists, and open the door to more cars, undermining the car-free corridor’s role as a safe, vibrant downtown street.
“No matter how safe Waymos are individually, more car traffic will make the street more dangerous for vulnerable road users," Claire Amable, the coalition's director of advocacy, wrote in April when Lurie first floated the change. “Car-free Market Street has made SF's Main Street safer for everyone."