Washington, D.C. Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie recently introduced legislation to allow fully autonomous vehicles (AVs) to operate on city streets. While companies like Waymo have spent years testing self-driving technology in the District, current D.C. law still requires a human operator behind the wheel. McDuffie’s bill would eliminate the driver-in requirement, paving the way for robotaxi services to serve D.C. riders in the near future.
According to a Chamber of Progress poll conducted in November 2024, D.C. residents overwhelmingly believe that AVs would benefit several groups, including elderly people (73% agree) and people who commute outside of peak hours (76% agree). The poll also showed deep resident dissatisfaction with D.C.’s transportation system and broad support for exploring new technologies, including AVs, to ease transit problems.
“Other cities are already experiencing what autonomous vehicles have to offer: safer, more convenient, and more accessible rides,” said Chamber of Progress Director of Civic Innovation Policy Ruth Whittaker. “Washingtonians should get to experience the same proven technology on their own streets.”
Chamber of Progress released a pair of studies last year examining traffic fatality data in New York and California. The reports concluded that AV deployment could have saved more than 1,800 lives in the two states over the last five years.
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