Waymo’s driverless cars may be gearing up for a San Diego debut, but the region’s transit leaders just sent a very clear message: not so fast.
The San Diego Metropolitan Transit System board voted 12-1 yesterday to oppose the expansion of driverless car services like Waymo unless local governments gain stronger oversight. Directors framed the move as an effort to protect taxi and ground-transport workers and to safeguard public safety on city streets as robotaxis begin to appear. The board also directed staff to explore what regulatory and legal steps it could push for at the state level.
As reported by the Times of San Diego, the resolution urges the state Legislature and Gov. Gavin Newsom to restore local control, including the right for communities to vote on whether autonomous vehicles may operate on their streets. The board said it will file formal protests with the California Public Utilities Commission and the California Department of Motor Vehicles and will seek to block driverless vehicles from serving travelers at San Diego International Airport.
What MTS Wants From Sacramento
“No corporation should be allowed to quietly replace people with machines,” Councilmember Sean Elo-Rivera said, according to the Times of San Diego. Elo-Rivera, who chairs MTS’s Taxi Advisory Committee, argued that companies like Waymo face only a quick “desk review” from state regulators while small business owners must slog through lengthy local permitting processes.
The Taxi Advisory Committee sent its recommendations to the full board in November. This week, MTS directors moved to adopt those proposals and to ramp up pressure on Sacramento for tighter rules and more local say in how autonomous vehicles operate.
Drivers And Labor Raise The Alarm
For local cab drivers, the fight is about more than futuristic tech. The United Taxi Workers say robotaxis threaten livelihoods and tilt the playing field by changing the rules of the road for one set of operators but not another.
Mikhail Hussein, president of the union, urged city and state leaders to insist on protections and fair competition, as KPBS reported. Labor groups have also pressed regulators to hold public hearings focused on safety and worker protections, a push the California Gig Workers Union praised, according to SEIU 1021.
Waymo’s Expansion And New Vehicles
On the other side of the battlefield is a company in growth mode. Waymo has been rapidly expanding its robotaxi footprint and has said it plans to welcome riders in San Diego in mid-2026, after securing broader operating permissions in California, according to TechCrunch.
Industry coverage from CES 2026 says Waymo is also getting ready to roll out a new, larger model called the Ojai to join its fleet this year, as reported by Business Insider. In the meantime, the company has been quietly mapping and running preliminary operations in the region. Waymo vehicles have already been spotted on San Diego streets during those runs, local reporting shows, as NBC 7 noted.
What Comes Next
MTS’s resolution sets the stage for a regulatory showdown: the board intends to lobby state agencies and lawmakers while unions and drivers keep pressing for hearings and tougher protections. The California Public Utilities Commission recently opened or signaled plans for public hearings on autonomous vehicle operations, a move labor groups applauded, according to SEIU 1021.
Advocates for local control are also eyeing longer-term fixes. They point to state legislation such as Sen. Dave Cortese’s SB 915, which would give cities and counties authority to set limits on autonomous services, according to Sen. Dave Cortese’s office.
For now, San Diego’s move signals that local officials are not willing to simply accept a state-led rollout without more say in the process, and it could slow or complicate Waymo’s planned debut. Waymo, for its part, has said it prioritizes continuous learning and engagement with local communities as it expands, according to TechCrunch. Expect public hearings, formal filings and mounting pressure on Sacramento in the weeks ahead.
