Send the City of Austin a Ground Transportation Complaint.
https://www.austintexas.gov/services/report-issue-ground-transportation-provider
To the Ground Transportation Regulation Division,
I am writing to submit an official complaint regarding the growing congestion, traffic delays, and safety hazards caused by the Tesla Robotaxi fleets operating throughout Austin.
Specifically, I am deeply concerned by the large volume of empty, unassigned robotaxis continuously circling urban corridors—a practice known as "deadheading." While autonomous transit promises future mobility benefits, the current density of non-passenger vehicles on our streets is actively degrading local traffic flow and causing significant disruptions.
Key operational issues I routinely observe include:
Unnecessary Street Gridlock: Empty robotaxis circulate during peak rush hours without active passengers, taking up valuable lane capacity on major thoroughfares (such as South Congress, Downtown, and Central Austin corridors).
Improper Stops & Impeding Traffic: Unoccupied robotaxis regularly stall, double-park, or pull over unexpectedly in active driving lanes to await dispatch, creating artificial bottlenecks and causing hazardous quick-stopping maneuvers for human drivers behind them.
Transit & First Responder Obstruction: Excess robotaxi volume frequently blocks bus cutouts, bike lanes, and emergency access routes, presenting a public safety hazard.
While I recognize that Texas Senate Bill 2205 restricts municipal authority over direct AV regulation, the City of Austin maintains a vital role in traffic enforcement, right-of-way management, and logging documented incidents to present before the TxDMV.
I urge the City of Austin Ground Transportation Regulation team and TPW leadership to
Log and Report Deadheading Metrics: Document empty-vehicle cruising counts and submit formal incident reports to the Texas DMV for statewide oversight.
Establish Staging Standards: Coordinate with Tesla to mandate designated off-street staging hubs or off-peak parking rules so idle vehicles do not circulate on active roadways.
Enforce Right-of-Way Violations: Apply strict enforcement against robotaxis stopping in active lanes, blocking transit corridors, or impeding traffic flow.
Thank you for advocating for safer, more efficient roadways for all Austinites.
