Laserfiche WebLink
REPORT <br />To the Honorable Mayor and City Council <br />From the City Manager <br /> <br />November 13, 2017 <br /> <br />SUBJECT <br />Extension and modification of a pilot program allowing the use of autonomous robots for <br />delivery of goods in Redwood City <br /> <br />RECOMMENDATION <br />Adopt a resolution approving the extension and modification of a pilot program to allow <br />the use of autonomous robots, also known as Personal Delivery Devices (PDD), for a <br />period to expire December 31, 2018 and determining that the extended and modified <br />pilot program is categorically exempt from CEQA pursuant to Section 15305 of the <br />CEQA guidelines. The modified program would require participating companies to <br />obtain a permit that establishes the terms and conditions associated with the program in <br />order to allow the use of their robots on City sidewalks and streets <br /> <br />BACKGROUND <br />In November 2016, the City Council authorized the creation of a nine-month pilot <br />program allowing Starship Technologies to operate their Personal Delivery Devices <br />(PDD) on Redwood City streets and sidewalks. Use of PDDs may help reduce traffic in <br />Redwood City as the PDDs operate on City sidewalks, not on City roads, and deliveries <br />may occur to homes, reducing customer vehicle traffic as well. Additionally, they allow <br />for some restaurants and businesses to serve a greater number of customers, <br />supporting business activity and customer convenience. Starship has been delivering to <br />Redwood City residences and businesses since February 2017 in partnership with Door <br />Dash and Post Mates. They currently are making 30 to 40 deliveries a day between the <br />hours of 10:00 am and 6:30 pm, using 12 robots. <br /> <br />The current model of the robot operating in Redwood City can carry the equivalent of <br />three grocery bags worth of goods and weighs about 50 pounds when fully loaded. The <br />PDD is autonomous, using nine on-board cameras to assist in its travels along the <br />sidewalks and going no more than four miles per hour. At street crossings, it is assisted <br />by a human controller to ensure it is safe for the robot to cross the street and not <br />impede traffic. The PDDs travel throughout a five-mile radius from their docking point. <br />Customers can establish their delivery times, track their items while in transit on the <br />mobile application at all times, and securely retrieve their items with their unique code <br />that opens the robot. <br /> <br />The pilot program in Redwood City was the first of its kind in the United States. <br />Currently Starship is operating in nine other cities in the Bay Area and Washington D.C. <br />6.3.B. - Page 1