PEOPLE FIRST TRANSPORTATION ALLIANCE

Protecting Jobs, Public Safety, and Accountability on America’s Streets

Who We Are

The People First Transportation Alliance (PFTA) is a national coalition of community organizations, safe-streets advocates, labor leaders, and faith institutions united around one simple principle: transportation policy in the United States must put people before untested technology.

We are building a broad, cross-country alliance representing working families, immigrant communities, public safety advocates, and neighborhoods from major cities to small towns.

National Coalition Partners Include

Together, we represent the voices of the people most directly impacted by transportation policy — not the corporations seeking to reshape it.

  • National faith leaders and institutions

  • Civil rights organizations

  • Driver and worker advocacy groups

  • Community-based organizations across key states

What We Support

We strongly oppose the legalization of fully driverless vehicles in any city or state where they are currently prohibited.

In jurisdictions where driverless vehicles are already permitted, we support the immediate implementation of an indefinite moratorium on their expansion until comprehensive, independent studies fully assess their impact on:

  • Public safety

  • Job displacement

  • Equity and access

  • Infrastructure readiness

We further support federal, state, and local legislation that requires:

  • A trained human driver to be physically present behind the wheel of any vehicle operated for hire

  • Clear, enforceable safety and accountability standards

Additionally, we support all policies that protect:

  • Jobs

  • Public safety

  • Clear accountability standards

  • The integrity of the for-hire transportation industry nationwide

Our Commitment

The People First Transportation Alliance will lead a coordinated national effort through:

  • Grassroots organizing

  • Public education campaigns

  • Legislative advocacy at the federal, state, and local levels

We are committed to ensuring that innovation does not come at the expense of safety, fairness, or the livelihoods of working Americans.

Why We Oppose the Proliferation of Driverless Vehicles

1. It Puts 1.5 Million American Jobs at Risk

More than 1.5 million taxi, rideshare, and for-hire vehicle drivers nationwide could see their livelihoods threatened or eliminated.

These are not abstract numbers. These are real people:

  • Working parents

  • Immigrants building economic stability

  • Communities of color disproportionately represented in the workforce

At a time when millions of Americans are already facing economic pressure, policymakers should not greenlight the mass displacement of workers.

Fully driverless vehicles remain insufficiently tested at scale, particularly in dense, unpredictable urban environments.

Across the country, cities face:

  • Heavy pedestrian traffic

  • Complex traffic patterns

  • Emergency response challenges

Removing a trained human driver introduces uncertainty in already complex situations. Until safety can be proven beyond doubt, deployment should not proceed.

2. Public Safety Must Come First

3. Accountability Cannot Be Automated

When something goes wrong on the road, responsibility matters.

A human driver provides:

  • Immediate decision-making

  • Real-time accountability

  • On-the-ground judgment

By contrast, driverless systems diffuse responsibility across corporations, software, and remote operators, creating dangerous ambiguity.

Public policy must ensure that someone is clearly accountable when lives are at stake.

Bottom Line

Technology should serve people. Not replace them, not endanger them, and not leave them behind.

The People First Transportation Alliance is mobilizing nationwide to ensure that America gets this right.

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