FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, July 25, 2025
CONTACT: Luke Bornheimer, Executive Director, Luke@StreetsForward.org, 617-899-4487 (cell)

Streets Forward’s Statement on Tesla’s Reported Launch of Driverless-Car Service in San Francisco

Streets Forward is shocked and troubled by Tesla’s reported launch of driverless-car service in San Francisco and calling on city and state policymakers to enforce the law—ensuring that Tesla doesn’t illegally operate driverless-car service in San Francisco—while prioritizing, approving, and funding sustainable transportation initiatives that will help San Franciscans shift trips to walking, biking, and public transportation and decrease car traffic, noise, air pollution, climate emissions, and roadway crashes while increasing public safety, economic vitality, public health, quality-of-life, and social connectedness.

“Reports of Tesla starting to operate driverless-car service in San Francisco are troubling, in part because Tesla doesn’t have the legal permits to operate the service in San Francisco—or anywhere in the state,” said Luke Bornheimer, Executive Director of Streets Forward. “Driverless cars increase car traffic, noise, and air pollution, at a time when we need to help more people shift trips to walking, biking, and public transit. We need our elected officials and policymakers to take immediate action to hold Tesla accountable and prevent this unpermitted—and potentially dangerous—service from operating on our streets.”

Streets Forward is calling upon relevant policymakers to take action, including the California Public Utilities Commission, California Department of Motor Vehicles, Attorney General Rob Bonta, Mayor Daniel Lurie, City Attorney David Chiu, and the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. “Reckless and unpermitted activity shouldn’t be allowed on San Francisco streets, and we need our elected officials and policymakers to hold Tesla accountable and ensure the company follows the law if it wants to operate driverless-car service on our streets,” Bornheimer said. “We have laws, rules, and regulations for a reason, and it’s time for the State and City to ensure Tesla follows the law, rather than operating recklessly on our streets.”

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Streets Forward is a community-based charity making it safer and faster for people to walk, bike, and take public transit in San Francisco. It does this through grassroots organizing, public policy research and education, and advocacy for policies and infrastructure improvements that are proven to help people shift trips to walking, biking, and transit—which increases roadway safety, among other benefits. Streets Forward was founded by its Executive Director, Luke Bornheimer, who successfully organized and advocated to make Car-Free JFK Promenade permanent, convert Upper Great Highway into a full-time, oceanfront park (Sunset Dunes), get curbside protected bike lanes installed on Valencia Street, have the e-bike incentive fund approved, and get the Board of Supervisors to unanimously support a citywide No Turn on Red policy, among other successes. Learn more about Streets Forward at StreetsForward.org.