Council Member Hudson says bills are part of solution but workers must be protected

As a governing body, we have a responsibility to make our streets safer, but the bills we are hearing today are only part of the solution.

Perhaps more importantly, we have a responsibility to protect the workers who use those streets every day.

I worry that some of the rhetoric around this package risks putting the blame on deliveristas when they are often the ones facing the greatest risks and calling the loudest for greater safety and accountability.

Delivery apps can improve.

pose aggressive delivery times and threaten deactivation, pressuring workers to speed.

We need to hold these companies accountable for the incentives they create, not just the workers navigating them.

And we can't leave out the need for greater infrastructure investments like deliveries to hubs, charging stations, and protected bike lanes that keep everyone safe, namely delivery workers and pedestrians.

When we take a both-and legislative approach rather than one that limits us to either-or, we can solve for the devices that are too fast for our streets and at the same time support the people who depend on them to make a living.

These bills address one part of the problem.

They are not the whole solution.

And our goal should be to build a city where pedestrians are safe, riders are safe, and deliveristas are not forced to choose between their safety and their livelihood.

Thank you.

Councilmember Shulman, followed by Rustler.