April 29 Special Called Joint Committee Meeting on Autonomous Vehicles and Emergency Response

[Zo Qadri]

Colleagues,

This is a reminder that the Special Called Joint Public Safety and Mobility Committee meeting will take place tomorrow, Wednesday, April 29, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. I invite Council Members who are not on either committee to attend.

The committee will receive a briefing from staff on the March 1 shooting incident on West 6th Street, including the instance in which a Waymo vehicle blocked a first responder from accessing the scene. Staff will also cover prior incidents involving autonomous vehicles during emergency responses, along with after-action reviews from our public safety departments.

Additionally, we will hear from our Government Relations Officer on key state and federal legislative initiatives and discuss potential amendments related to autonomous vehicles for the City’s legislative agendas.

Waymo was invited to participate on March 11 through an open letter signed by myself, Mayor Pro Tem Vela, and Council Members Ellis, Velásquez, and Laine. The letter can be viewed here: instagram.com/p/DVwe39IjoSu/

Waymo informed our office on Friday that they will not attend. While this is disappointing, the goal of the meeting remains the same: to identify lessons learned and develop practical solutions to improve how autonomous vehicle operators, including Waymo, integrate with Austin’s emergency response systems.

Meeting Details:

Agenda: austintexas.gov/council/2026/20260429-mobc
When: Wednesday, April 29, from 11 am to 1 pm.
Sign up to testify: joshua.ezekiel01@austintexas.gov
Livestream: austintexas.gov/communications/watch-atxn-live

Best,

Zohaib “Zo” Qadri
Mobility Committee Vice Chair
Austin City Council Member District 9