According to a TechCrunch report today by the National League of Cities , only 6 % of large American cities are preparing for the arrival of autonomous vehicles as part of their long - range expansion plans . Furthermore , only 3 % of these cities ’ transit plans take into account the presence of ride - hailing companies like Google and Lyft , even though they already operate in 60 of the 68 largest cities in America . The impact of such innovations on cities could be huge , if properly prepared . For example , autonomous vehicles could liberate the 25 % of physical space in downtown San Francisco currently devoted to parking . Another big question is , will autonomous cars cause the public to disinvest in mass transit ? One state senator in Florida believes so , and is therefore opposing investments in public transport as driverless cars will come online by the time such planned projects are finished , and he is concerned no - one will need to use them . I do not know all the answers to these questions, nor do any of the companies, cities or the federal government. However , ride - hailing firm Lyft , believes ride - sharing and public transit should work in tandem and is therefore a keen advocate of more spending on public transit .
According to a TechCrunch report today by the National League of Cities , only 6 % of large American cities are preparing for the arrival of autonomous vehicles as part of their long - range expansion plans . Furthermore , only 3 % of these cities ’ transit plans take into account the presence of ride - hailing companies like Google and Lyft , even though they already operate in 60 of the 68 largest cities in America . The impact of such innovations on cities could be huge , if properly prepared . For example , autonomous vehicles could liberate the 25 % of physical space in downtown San Francisco currently devoted to parking . Another big question is , will autonomous cars cause the public to disinvest in mass transit ? One state senator in Florida believes so , and is therefore opposing investments in public transport as driverless cars will come online by the time such planned projects are finished , and he is concerned no - one will need to use them . However , ride - hailing firm Lyft , believes ride - sharing and public transit should work in tandem and is therefore a keen advocate of more spending on public transit .