🚨 Who’s policing Waymos?

🤔 Can Waymos Get Tickets?

Waymo robotaxis have been serving areas of Denver for around a month and have already had their share of traffic violations. But local law enforcement says as of right now, there’s no real way to give these driverless vehicles a ticket. While Waymos are designed to pull over to heed to emergency vehicles and police, but there’s no one in the driver’s seat to issue a moving violation ticket to.

• Incoming legislation: State Rep. Jenny Willford plans to introduce a bill regarding autonomous vehicles in the 2027 session. She says the bill will help develop a way to issue citations, create more specific licensing for robotaxis under the Public Utilities Commission, and clarify data storage and retention requirements.
• Will Gov. Polis bite? Rep. Willford is skeptical, saying his lack of legislation so far around Waymo was “100% a Jared Polis special.” Polis’ camp says he never saw any bills related to the topic. However, Polis is term limited, so ultimately the decision will fall onto the desk of the incoming governor.
• Previous attempt: Last session, legislators passed a bill about self-driving vehicles – that would not have applied to Waymo, only commercial automobiles – which would require an autonomous vehicle over a certain weight that was traveling on the highway to have a human driver present. Gov. Polis vetoed the bill. [Westword]
• What are other states doing? This summer, California enabled police to ticket self-driving vehicles – two years after the service came to the state. An officer can issue a ticket to the manufacturer’s “designated person” who shows up to the scene, or will provide a copy of the violation to the DMV and manufacturer within 72 hours of the incident. [LA Times]

🏠 Colorado Homes are Getting Cheaper

Homeowners trying to sell in Colorado are cutting home prices more than those in any other state. 32% of Colorado sellers in August had cut prices, a rate 6% higher than the national average. Denver is seeing an even higher rate at 36%. Experts attribute the rise to higher interest rates and mortgages, and more inventory on the market. [CPR]

🍺 Are Denverites Done with Beer?

Last week marked the end of Oskar Blues Grill and Brew’s time in downtown Denver. The brewery also lost a Colorado Springs location at the end of last year, but still has spots in Lyons and Longmont. Oskar Blues isn’t alone, as many breweries around the state have shuttered in recent years, perhaps due in part to a wave of “sober curious” Denverites. This weekend is also the Great American Beer Festival, which is markedly smaller than years past and now features much more than just beer. The festival will be shorter with smaller guest capacity, and will be hosted outside at Levitt Pavillion. [BusinessDen, CU, Denver Post 🔒]

✈️ City Council Delays Vote … Again

Denver City Council has delayed a vote on Key Lime Air’s passenger services for a second straight week. The company flies deportation flights, flying about one-fifth of the deportations from DIA in 2026. The resolution to be voted on will approve a new use and lease agreement for the company, with the current agreement expiring at the end of this year. Councilwoman Selena Gonzalez-Gutierrez made the motion to delay the vote, saying she hoped it would give the airport time to meet with immigrants rights groups and set accountability measures. [9News]

⚽ What Would You Rename the Soccer Stadium?

The Colorado Rapids soccer team is thinking about changing the name of their stadium, currently known as Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, in Commerce City. Today, contributor Joshua Emerson joins host Bree Davies to lay out his top contenders for a new moniker. Do you have a great idea for what Dick’s should be called? Reply to this email, and you might see it in this newsletter! [City Cast Denver 🎧]