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Autonomous Vehicle Labor and Community Protections.
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WHEREAS, autonomous vehicle companies are expanding into new markets, including the Twin Cities, and commercial driverless services may soon operate in Saint Paul; and
WHEREAS, Saint Paul currently lacks a comprehensive local framework governing commercial autonomous vehicle operations; and
WHEREAS, autonomous vehicles could significantly affect transportation workers, including many immigrant workers and workers of color who rely on driving income to support their families; and
WHEREAS, residents and policymakers have raised questions about autonomous vehicle safety, implications for labor standards and worker protections, emergency response, accessibility, and accountability; and
WHEREAS, autonomous vehicles use cameras, sensors, and other technologies that collect information about their surroundings, raising questions about how that data is collected, stored, retained, used, shared, and disclosed;
WHEREAS, autonomous vehicle operations will also affect traffic, public infrastructure, transit, pedestrians, bicyclists, and other users of Saint Paul's transportation system;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Saint Paul City Council establishes the following principles to guide consideration of future commercial autonomous vehicle operations in Saint Paul:
- Protect Workers: The City should pursue labor standards, worker protections, and workforce transition strategies for workers whose livelihoods may be affected by autonomous vehicles.
- Prioritize Safety and Accountability: Any potential autonomous vehicle operations should meet clear standards for public safety, emergency response, winter weather, accessibility, transparency, and accountability, and should comply with applicable traffic and parking laws.
- Protect Data: The City should establish clear guidelines for the collection, storage, retention, use, sharing, and disclosure of data collected by autonomous vehicles.
- Protect the Public Transportation System: Autonomous vehicle operations should support, rather than undermine, Saint Paul's goals for safe and efficient transportation, including public transit, walking, bicycling, and responsible use of public infrastructure.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Saint Paul City Council directs the Saint Paul Planning Commission, through its Transportation Committee, to study autonomous vehicles and develop recommendations for a Saint Paul regulatory framework, including input from transportation workers, labor organizations, disability advocates, public safety representatives, and other affected stakeholders; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the study shall consider at minimum:
- impacts on transportation workers, including potential job displacement and workforce transition;
- public safety, emergency response, and winter-weather operations;
- accessibility and the transportation needs of people with disabilities;
- compliance with traffic, parking, and other applicable laws, including impacts on pedestrians, bicyclists, and other vulnerable road users;
- impacts on traffic, public infrastructure, and existing public transit;
- data storage, retention, use, sharing, and law enforcement access;
- public transparency and reporting requirements for autonomous vehicle operators; including information about rides, vehicle mileage, empty or “deadhead” trips, safety incidents, and other relevant operating data; and
- the City's authority to license, regulate, monitor, and enforce standards for commercial autonomous vehicle operations.
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that Saint Paul should establish these standards proactively, before autonomous vehicle companies begin commercial operations in the City, so that the City can thoughtfully determine the appropriate role of autonomous vehicles while protecting workers, residents, and the public.