As Waymo autonomous vehicles are mapping Chicago streets, Niles voters will decide whether they want the self-driving taxis in their community.
In the upcoming March 17 primary, voters will be asked: “Shall the Village of Niles permit commercial autonomous ride services (self-driving taxis) to operate within the village?” The non-binding referendum will help advise local officials on how to handle the latest automotive technology.
Niles Mayor George D. Alpogianis rode in a self-driving taxi during a recent visit to see his daughter in San Francisco and is in favor of asking residents what they think about the trend. Waymo, the autonomous vehicles in San Francisco, also operate in Los Angeles, Phoenix, Atlanta and Austin, Texas.
Alphabet, Inc., the owner of Google and the autonomous vehicles, plans to expand the service to 20 other cities across the globe. However, the company has experienced pushback in Illinois. The Tribune reported in December that opinions are mixed on the self-driving vehicles and that a bill pending in Springfield supporting their operation in the state, has not been approved by the legislature.
“(Niles Police Chief Joseph P. Romano) has concerns about moving too quickly to widespread adoption of autonomous vehicles,” Niles Police Deputy Chief Tom Fragassi told Pioneer Press, quoting from a statement prepared by the Chief of Police. “While the technology continues to advance, it hasn’t proven to be consistently reliable. There are serious liability and accountability concerns.”
Fragassi said the vehicles make it challenging to determine who is at fault in the event of an accident when there isn’t a driver. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, a total of 816 crashes involving Automated Driving System (ADS) vehicles have occurred since April 2025.
He also cited safety concerns surrounding a recent Los Angeles Police felony traffic stop in downtown Los Angeles. Police had the suspect on the ground at gunpoint when an autonomous vehicle containing passengers pulled up and parked next to the scene “putting people in harm’s way,” Fragassi said.
“Until questions are clearly addressed and the technology demonstrates considerable reliability, there isn’t sufficient justification for broader implementation,” Fragassi said, quoting the police chief.
Former Niles Police Chief and three-term village trustee Dean Strzelecki also has a public safety view about autonomous vehicles.
“I’m a little concerned right now,” Strzelecki said. “They are perfecting them but there are still some issues with them that I’ve read.”
He said want to see more improvement in their automation before supporting their use in Niles.
“I would like to see them more perfected before I approve of them in Niles. I’m not totally against them, other than people losing jobs,” he said, adding self-driving vehicles could replace taxis and rideshare services. “The more we do these things — self-driving vehicles, self checkouts — we’re putting more people out of work and that bothers me.”
