The move is a notable step for Lurie, who came into office trumpeting tech company successes in the city, like Waymo’s spread, as a way to boost San Francisco’s economy and image.
“This legislation will help keep San Franciscans safe while taking the lessons we’ve learned to the rest of the country,” Lurie said in a statement.
Mullin’s bill comes as Waymo has expanded its passenger service in recent years from San Francisco to Los Angeles, Austin, Atlanta and elsewhere. The service has proven popular among riders and the company has touted figures suggesting the autonomous taxis have a better safety record than human drivers.
But despite those stats, recent traffic incidents have piled public pressure on Lurie and local authorities, who don’t have the power to regulate the autonomous fleet, to call for increased oversight.
Amid July 4 festivities this year, dozens of Waymos completely stopped and blocked traffic in San Francisco, leading to gridlock for cars, buses and thousands of fireworks viewers, though transportation officials said insufficient planning was also to blame.
Last December, Waymos stalled throughout the city during a major power outage that knocked out many of the city’s traffic signals. The incident prompted public scrutiny and a city hearing.
Tiffany Moore, Waymo’s head of federal policy and government affairs, said Tuesday the company “has long supported” a federal framework for autonomous vehicles and efforts to standardize how developers engage with first responders.