Removing the driver does not remove the queue
A vehicle can navigate perfectly and still circle a block because there is nowhere to stop. If many fleets optimize only their own pickup time, the city may gain smoother vehicles and more chaotic sidewalks. Autonomy moves the bottleneck from steering to allocation.
The curb becomes a programmable public resource
Loading zones can change by time, demand and public priority. A morning space may serve school transport, become a delivery bay at noon and reserve accessible pickup in the evening. The rules must be legible to residents, not only to fleet APIs.
Public transport is the multiplier
The strongest autonomous network may be one that feeds high-capacity transport instead of replacing it. Small vehicles can bridge difficult first and last kilometers, while buses and trains carry the volume. Without that coordination, cheap empty repositioning can create a new form of congestion.