Will Minneapolis Now Require Human Monitors in Driverless Cars?

Driverless cars have moved from science fiction to everyday reality faster than most people expected. Waymo, the self-driving company owned by Google's parent company, now completes more than 500,000 paid rides a week across more than a dozen U.S. cities.

That weekly number doubled in less than a year, and the company says it wants to reach one million weekly rides by the end of 2026.

Minneapolis has been on that list of future cities for almost a year. Waymo announced plans last November to begin testing there, partly to see how its cars handle snow and frigid weather.

Those test cars are already on city streets mapping roads, but for now a trained person is behind the wheel. Waymo hasn't set a date for public rides in Minnesota.

However, before those cars can go fully driverless, Minneapolis may take a step no other U.S. city has taken: requiring a human in the driver's seat anyway. The question now is whether the mayor will let it happen.

Minneapolis Council Advances Human Monitor Rule for Driverless Cars

On Tuesday, a Minneapolis City Council committee made up of the full council voted 7-4 to advance an ordinance requiring paid "safety monitors" in the driver's seat of robotaxis like Waymo and Amazon's Zoox.

If the council gives final approval later this week, Minneapolis would become the first city in the country with that requirement.

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Under the proposal, each monitor would need a valid driver's license and immediate access to the steering wheel, brake, and gas pedal. Autonomous vehicle companies would also need a city license to operate, starting next fall.

Why Supporters Want a Human Behind the Wheel

The ordinance's authors say it's about safety and jobs. More than 10,000 people drive for rideshare companies in Minnesota, according to a 2024 state study. At a public hearing last week, several of those drivers told the council they're worried about losing their livelihoods.

Council Member Robin Wonsley, one of the authors, has said the focus is on "public safety and protecting immigrant workers from losing their jobs to automation." She has also pointed to incidents in other cities where driverless cars caused traffic jams, got in the way of first responders, and passed stopped school buses.

Why Critics Call It a Ban in Disguise

Waymo sees it very differently. The company called the proposal "a de facto ban on autonomous vehicles", since putting a paid driver in every car would undo the whole point of a driverless service. Waymo also says its data from other cities shows that its cars crash less often than human drivers.

Some residents with disabilities have spoken up too. One blind Minneapolis resident told the council that drivers sometimes cancel his rides, and said he might choose an autonomous vehicle if he had the option.

Will the Mayor Allow It?

That's the big unanswered question. A spokeswoman for Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey called the ordinance a "back-door ban" and bait for the state to step in and override the city. That raises the possibility of a veto if the full council passes it.

The state angle matters. Minnesota doesn't have specific rules for driverless cars yet, and competing statewide proposals stalled at the Legislature last spring.

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There's also a useful preview of how this could play out. In 2024, the council overrode a mayoral veto to pass minimum pay rates for Uber and Lyft drivers. The Legislature then stripped cities of the power to set those rates as part of a statewide deal.

Imagine This as Your Next Career

If this goes through, it would create a brand-new job: sitting behind the wheel of a car that drives itself, riding around the Twin Cities with strangers all day, and hoping you never have to touch a thing.

It's either the easiest gig in America or the most nerve-racking. Picture your hands hovering over the steering wheel at a four-way stop while the car makes its own decisions.

So what would it pay? The exact figure isn't spelled out yet. Several outlets report the monitors would earn at least minimum wage, while others say the pay would be tied to the state's minimum rates for rideshare drivers.

Either way, it's not a fortune. Then again, it may be the only job where the car does the driving, and you still get a paycheck.

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Whatever happens this week, Minneapolis has become a test case for a question every city will eventually face: how do you welcome new technology without leaving hardworking people behind? Minneapolis may be the first to try to answer it, but it likely won't be the last.