Food Delivery Robots Coming To Pacific Palisades?

PACIFIC PALISADES, CA — Have you noticed small, cubicle-shaped robots wheeling down the sidewalk with someone's dinner neatly packaged inside? If so, you're not alone. The robot delivery vehicles have been popping up across Los Angeles, and more could be coming in 2021.

Pacific Palisades Community Council will discuss the robots in next week's meeting. Community members can learn more about how they work and voice their opinions or concerns, and learn about upcoming pilot programs from Council District 11 Transportation Deputy Eric Bruins.

The meeting will start at 6 p.m. on March 25. The Zoom link is available here, and the full meeting agenda can be viewed here.

Delivery test programs have been popping up across the city lately. Last year, Postmates set up a trial run in West Hollywood, running bright yellow bots up and down Sunset Boulevard. More recently, WeHo based Pink Dot began using pink robots to make Postmates deliveries in the area, and are considering make them a permanent part of the city's fleet.

The robots have sensors, and are able to maneuver around people and objects to safely deliver food. So far, serious problems haven't been reported, although people have been seen taking photos with the bots or jokingly trying to block them from rolling down the sidewalk.