Minneapolis’ City Council passed the proposed Workers Drive Minneapolis ordinance 7–6 on October 1, 2026. The measure would require commercial autonomous vehicles to have a licensed human monitor in the driver’s seat and require operators to obtain a city license. Mayor Jacob Frey vetoed it the next day, according to CBS Minnesota; nine council votes are needed to override a veto. The proposal is therefore not in force based on the available reporting, and its formal legislative status should be checked against the city record before treating that as settled.
What the ordinance would require
Called “Workers Drive Minneapolis,” the proposal was authored by Council Members Robin Wonsley, Aurin Chowdhury, Jason Chavez and Jamal Osman. It would apply to commercial autonomous vehicles operating in the city, require an operating license from Minneapolis, and place a licensed human monitor in the driver’s seat. The monitor would be compensated under minimum rates established by law. Council Member Chavez’s September 11 update also says remote operation would be prohibited. The measure was drafted to take effect in October 2027 if enacted; that date does not mean it is currently operative.
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Chavez’s city newsletter outlines the proposal, while Axios Twin Cities’ September 10 report describes the licensing and monitor provisions.
Why supporters back the measure
Worker livelihoods and local rules
Supporters argue that a human-monitor requirement would protect rideshare work and give the city a way to set local conditions before autonomous services begin. At a September hearing, drivers raised concerns about losing work to automation. Wonsley, the ordinance’s lead author, told the Minnesota Reformer: “We are not going to roll out the red carpet for Big Tech companies to essentially raid our economy and displace our workers.” These are policy arguments, not proof that the ordinance would preserve a specific number of jobs.
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The Minnesota Reformer reported that Minnesota had more than 10,000 rideshare drivers, citing the debate around the proposal. That is a reported figure, not an independently verified current workforce count. The same outlet reported Waymo’s claim that it provides more than 500,000 fully autonomous rides weekly across 15 major U.S. cities; this is company-reported scale, not an independently audited figure. The Minnesota Reformer’s September 17 coverage also lays out the competing labor and safety claims.
Public safety and accountability
Supporters have framed the mandate as a safeguard while commercial robotaxis are introduced. The proposal would also establish a city licensing requirement, creating a local mechanism for regulating operators. The sources reviewed do not document an independent safety test of autonomous vehicles in Minneapolis, so neither the ordinance’s safety benefit nor its effect on risk in local conditions is established.
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Why Frey and Waymo object
Frey has argued that requiring a driver in a driverless vehicle makes little sense and has emphasized innovation, transportation options and thoughtful safety regulation. “Requiring a driver in a driverless car doesn’t make sense,” he said, according to CBS Minnesota’s October 1 report. Waymo called the proposed mandate “a de facto ban on autonomous vehicles” and said it remained committed to working with officials toward fully autonomous transportation. These are the mayor’s and company’s positions, not independent findings about safety or the city’s legal authority.
In practical terms, a rule requiring a licensed person in the driver’s seat would prevent a service from operating in Minneapolis in fully driverless form unless it met that condition. The dispute is whether that restriction is a reasonable local safeguard or effectively excludes the service the city would be regulating.
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Accessibility and transportation choice are also at stake
Public testimony raised a tension that does not fit neatly into a labor-versus-technology debate. Drivers described fear of losing work, while some residents said autonomous rides might offer another option. Blind Minneapolis resident Justin Salisbury told MPR News that ride cancellations had affected him and that he might choose an autonomous vehicle if available. He also said disabled people want to participate in the workforce, while limited transportation can make that harder.
Salisbury’s remarks are testimony about a potential benefit, not evidence that robotaxis consistently provide accessible rides or solve transportation barriers. The hearing nevertheless showed why a policy decision must weigh worker protections alongside mobility choice and disability access. MPR News’ September 23 account reports on the hearing and its range of views.
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What is known about safety—and what is not
Waymo cited its operating history in making the case for autonomous vehicles. The Minnesota Reformer reported the company’s claims of more than 220 million miles driven, 94% fewer crashes involving serious or fatal injuries, and 82% fewer crashes causing any injuries. Those are comparisons based on Waymo’s own operating data, as reported by the outlet; they are not independent estimates of how robotaxis would perform in Minneapolis. The story also quoted a Waymo spokesperson saying nearly 500 Minnesotans were killed in crashes in 2024. That figure is attributed to the spokesperson, not independently verified here against state crash records.
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Those figures do not resolve the local policy question by themselves. They are company-reported comparisons and statewide context, not a Minneapolis-specific evaluation of the proposed monitor rule or local operating conditions.
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State law and Minneapolis operations remain important context
Before the October vote, MPR News described Minnesota law as lacking specific autonomous-vehicle rules and reported disagreement among policymakers about whether existing driving laws allowed driverless vehicles. That September account predates both the council vote and the reported veto; it should not be read as a definitive statement of the law today.
Before the vote, Waymo vehicles were reported to be testing in Minneapolis but not yet carrying local passengers. That is a pre-vote account, not confirmation of their current operating status. Do not assume from it that Waymo is now offering passenger rides in the city. CBS Minnesota’s September 14 report covered the earlier proposal and Frey’s preference for state-level rules.
What happens after the veto
The council’s 7–6 passage vote is confirmed in CBS Minnesota’s October 1 coverage, which also reported Frey’s intention to veto. A separate CBS Minnesota article dated October 2 reported that he had vetoed the measure. The October 1 report says nine votes are required for an override, so the passage tally alone was short of that threshold. The formal city legislative record was not available in the reporting reviewed here; check that record for the authoritative status and any subsequent council action.
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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFor now, the central distinction is between a proposal that passed the council and an ordinance in force. The measure’s October 2027 effective date applied only if it became law; it is not evidence that robotaxis are currently subject to these proposed city requirements.
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