title
CC – CONSENT ITEM: Adoption of an Ordinance Establishing a New Use Classification, Standards and Approval Procedures for Autonomous Vehicle Fleet Services.
body
Meeting Date: September 28, 2026
Contact Person/Dept.: Gabriel Barreras, Senior Planner
Peer Chacko, Current Planning Manager
Christina Burrows, Assistant City Attorney
Phone Number: (310) 253-5776 / (310) 253-5755 / (310) 253-5660
Fiscal Impact: Yes [] No [X] General Fund: Yes [] No [X]
Attachments: Yes [X] No []
Public Notification: (Email) Public Notifications – City Council (09/10/2026), Meetings and Agendas – City Council 09/10/2026), (Posted) City website (09/10/2026), Social Media (08/25/2026), (Published) Culver City News (08/28/2026)
Department Approval: Emily Stadnicki, Director of Planning & Development (09/21/2026); Heather Baker, City Attorney (09/22/2026) _____________________________________________________________________
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends the City Council adopt an ordinance establishing a new use classification, standards and approval procedures for autonomous vehicle fleet services as shown in Attachment 1.
BACKGROUND
In February 2022, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) issued the first permits authorizing autonomous vehicle (AV) fleet operators, Cruise LLC and Waymo LLC, to provide passenger service in AVs with a test driver present in the vehicle. By November 2024, the CPUC approved the expansion of commercial AV operations into Southern California and the greater Los Angeles region, with Culver City situated within the central portion of the Westside service area. Since then, several other AV passenger service companies have begun to enter the market in the Southern California region.
Commercial AV fleets currently operate as driverless ride-hailing services, utilizing advanced technologies, including LiDAR, radar, GPS, and onboard camera systems, to perceive and navigate the surrounding environm...
Click here for full text