1. United States
2. Calif.
3. Letter

I am writing to urge the California Legislature to address the growing deployment of autonomous food delivery robots operating on public sidewalks. Companies such as Serve Robotics, Coco Robotics, Starship Technologies, Kiwibot, Nuro, Cartken, Avride, and Ottonomy are increasingly using public pedestrian infrastructure for commercial operations with little oversight. These devices function as free-market riders on taxpayer-funded infrastructure. They operate on sidewalks, curb ramps, and crosswalks built and maintained by cities and counties while contributing little to the cost of maintaining those systems. Their presence also raises serious public safety and accessibility concerns. When robots malfunction, lose connectivity, or encounter obstacles, they often stop and block sidewalks or curb ramps. This creates barriers for seniors, parents with strollers, and individuals with mobility disabilities who rely on clear and accessible pedestrian pathways. California should not allow commercial devices to impede ADA accessibility. Autonomous delivery robots are also designed to replace human delivery workers. Thousands of Californians rely on delivery work as a source of income. Public infrastructure should not be used to facilitate automation that eliminates jobs without creating meaningful local employment opportunities in return. Because federal law does not comprehensively regulate delivery robots, states must step in to protect public safety and infrastructure. I urge the Legislature to consider the following actions: • Prohibit or strictly limit autonomous delivery robots on public sidewalks unless authorized by local governments. • Require significant startup registration fees and annual licensing fees for each robot, with funds directed to cities and counties for sidewalk repair and ADA accessibility improvements. • Require companies to carry strong liability insurance and assume responsibility for accidents or sidewalk obstruction. • Allow residents to remove robots that block pedestrian access, with companies responsible for reimbursing reasonable removal and storage costs. • Require companies to create local jobs by employing full-time human operators to monitor and control robot fleets. Sidewalks exist for people, not fleets of private commercial machines. California should ensure public infrastructure remains safe, accessible, and fairly managed.