Minneapolis lawmakers are advancing a proposed municipal ordinance that would require a licensed human safety monitor to sit behind the wheel of every commercial autonomous vehicle operating in the city. According to a report by MPR News, the measure, drafted under the title “Workers Drive Minneapolis,” demands that any robotaxi company keep a paid driver with immediate access to steering, braking, and acceleration controls. A public hearing on the ordinance is scheduled for September 22.
Proposed Ordinance Details and Timeline
The legislation was introduced by Minneapolis City Council members Robin Wonsley, Jamal Osman, Jason Chavez, and Aurin Chowdhury, per MPR News. If approved by the City Council, the ordinance would require autonomous vehicle operators to secure a city license by October 2027. Furthermore, any human safety monitor mandated to sit inside the vehicle must receive at least minimum wage.
The ordinance’s authors state that they proposed the measure out of strict concern for local traffic safety and the job security of thousands of Uber and Lyft drivers, according to MPR News. Waymo began testing automated vehicles in Minneapolis in November 2025. While those vehicles currently carry a human driver in the front seat, they are not yet picking up passengers commercially, though the company plans to eventually offer uncrewed rides. Waymo’s public announcements describe Minneapolis as an expansion site for testing its sixth-generation autonomous technology, which utilizes automated sensor-cleaning mechanisms and specialized artificial intelligence designed to handle winter conditions such as heavy snow and ice.
Labor Concerns and Industry Safety Data
Local labor groups have raised concerns regarding Waymo and potential job losses, according to reporting from KARE 11. These local drivers recently organized to secure minimum compensation guarantees following lengthy disputes with rideshare platforms like Uber and Lyft. On the other side of the debate, company representatives and automated-vehicle supporters point to external studies indicating that autonomous cars are statistically safer than traditional vehicles driven by humans, as reported by MPR News.
By March 2026, Waymo was operating 500,000 weekly paid trips across 10 U.S. cities. According to data cited by SQ Magazine, the company’s autonomous system experienced a 90% reduction in serious-injury crashes across 127 million autonomous miles.
State-Level Legislative Vacuum
Minneapolis is acting within a state-level regulatory void. According to the Urban Robotics Foundation, Minnesota currently maintains no specific regulations governing autonomous vehicles, and state legislators failed to pass proposed oversight rules during the 2026 legislative session. In March, Minnesota House Bill 3513 sought to establish a statewide regulatory framework for connected and automated vehicles while explicitly preempting local municipalities from setting their own rules or fees. However, that bill failed to pass following a party-line vote in the House Transportation Finance and Policy Committee, according to the Minnesota House Session Daily. The legislative session ultimately ended without passing statewide oversight or municipal preemption laws, leaving individual cities to construct their own regulatory frameworks.
Curb-Management Pressures from Other Markets
Municipalities across the United States have faced growing curb-management challenges in early robotaxi markets, which has fueled intense local interest in city-level rules. Minneapolis’s proactive approach reflects a concentrated focus on establishing municipal licensing standards and operational oversight before commercial robotaxi fleets fully transition to driverless mode. The specific question of how the city will enforce rules for driverless fleets remains separate from the proposed licensing requirement currently moving toward the September 22 public hearing.
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