The executive director of the San Francisco Bike Coalition says he wasn't too happy when he heard Mayor Daniel Lurie's announcement that Waymo will soon be allowed to drive on the portion of Market Street closed off to cars.

Lurie is positioning the rollout as part of a broader downtown revitalization effort that includes reforms to the city’s permitting system, support for small businesses and proposed entertainment zones. Waymo will begin the mapping process with humans behind the wheel before it launches the fully driverless rides.

Market Street in San Francisco will welcome a new option for transportation later this year. Mayor Daniel Lurie announced on Thursday that autonomous cars from Waymo will soon begin servicing the vital corridor that has had more than 2 miles of roadway closed to private vehicles since 2020.