Beginning August 26, the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) will kick off an evaluation with Waymo, and a limited number of commercial black cars that operate on the Uber and Lyft platforms, to provide passenger trips on Market Street, including pick-up and drop-off at up to seven specific locations on Market Street during designated hours. During the evaluation, the city will work with the providers to review transportation and safety data, along with customer experience and demand, to expand and adjust service volumes and hours.
Project Background
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, traffic patterns downtown have changed significantly in San Francisco and especially in the downtown and Mid-Market communities. The SFMTA and other city agencies have received consistent feedback about the need for additional access to the businesses and institutions in the Mid-Market area.
In response, the city and commercial fleet companies have agreed to provide limited passenger service on Market Street during off-peak hours in an initial monitoring phase. Waymo will operate between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. and between 7 p.m. and 6 a.m., with Uber Black and Lyft Black operating during evening and overnight hours, between 7 p.m. and 6 a.m. Service hours may change in the coming months.
Pick up and drop off will be available at seven specified loading zones:
- Market at Mason Street, in front of IKEA
- Market at Sixth Street, southeast, in front of Blick Art Materials
- Market at Taylor Street, northeast, in front of Warfield
- Market east of Jones Street, mid-block south, in front of Urban Alchemy
- Market east of Jones Street, mid-block north, in front of Prism apartments
- Market at Seventh Street, across from Proper Hotel
- Market at Eighth Street, southeast, Trinity Place and Lighthouse for the Blind
Mid-Market Street Loading Evaluation
Safety and transit efficiency remain priorities for Market Street. The Mid-Market Street Loading Evaluation will analyze additional loading activities at the seven loading bays to monitor transportation safety and efficiency using baseline data and additional data that will be collected between now and fall 2026.
To ensure all modes of transportation are safe and efficient, the SFMTA will monitor Muni performance, traffic conditions, safety incidents, and Waymo, Uber Black, and Lyft Black’s performance through shared data and street traffic observations.
This evaluation will use both existing baseline data and new data collected through fall 2026 to assess the impact of these activities on transportation safety and efficiency. An early monitoring phase will be conducted while Waymo, and a limited number of Uber Black and Lyft Black vehicles operate with limited hours allowing for near-term adjustments before hours are extended.
Better Market Street
The Better Market Street Program, approved in 2019, was a comprehensive multi-agency initiative to upgrade 2.2 miles of Market Street—replacing aging infrastructure, improving ADA accessibility, enhancing Muni speed and reliability, and modernizing the street’s entire surface from curb to curb.
The project involved close coordination across SFMTA, San Francisco Public Works, the San Francisco Planning Department, the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, the Mayor’s Office on Disability, and others. As part of that vision, the SFMTA Board approved and directed staff to quickly restrict Market Street from 10th Street to Steuart Street to private vehicles to reduce conflicts and improve safety for people walking and biking.
Get in Touch
As we evaluate loading activities on Mid-Market Street, we want to hear from people who use the street—whether you're biking, walking, driving, or riding transit. Your experiences and observations are an important part of this evaluation, especially as conditions may feel different with vehicles entering and exiting the new loading bays.
If you have feedback about how the street feels or functions, please share it with us.