Walter Turner III, pastor of New Spiritual Light MB Church in Chicago, said in a recent statement that ‘We are already seeing troubling signs that the AV industry is slipping back into the bad old days of redlined transportation.’ The statement was part of a letter from 30 pastors to State Representative Kam Buckner as House Bill 4663, which proposes an autonomous vehicle pilot project, remains in the Illinois House Rules Committee after its introduction and committee assignment.
The issue has drawn attention from faith leaders who say that without proper regulation, new technology could reinforce existing inequalities. The letter was addressed to Leader Buckner with copies to the House and Senate Black Caucuses, as House Bill 4663 remained referred to the Rules Committee following its assignment to the Transportation Vehicles and Safety committee. The communication provides input from faith leaders representing congregations in Chicago neighborhoods on the proposed legislation.
Turner III said, ‘In cities where this technology is on the roads, we see a recurring pattern: companies prioritize wealthy areas while virtually ignoring low-income neighborhoods and communities of color. We cannot allow innovation to become a high-tech excuse for exclusion. Without firm regulations in place to ensure equitable service, we risk subsidizing the convenience of the few at the expense of the many.’ Pastor Walter Turner III leads New Spiritual Light MB Church in Chicago and has actively participated in legislative matters affecting local employment and community welfare. He has provided testimony before the Illinois House on bills related to background checks and workforce opportunities. As one of the signatories of the collective letter, he represents faith leaders committed to protecting neighborhood economic foundations.
Concerns about automation’s impact on minority workers have been raised by researchers as well. Chicago Fed research reported that Black workers are overrepresented in 17 of the 30 U.S. occupations at highest risk of automation, including taxi drivers, bus drivers, and chauffeurs. A Brookings Institution analysis found Black workers more than three times as likely as White workers to hold such positions. This overrepresentation means rapid shifts toward autonomous vehicles could disproportionately affect minority drivers who have historically used the transportation sector as a path to economic stability.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that Black workers make up 21.4 percent of the transportation and warehousing sector. In Chicago’s South and West Side neighborhoods, the sector provides essential pathways, particularly for Black and Brown families reliant on driving roles for middle-class stability. Regional transit data further indicate that Black riders represent 27 percent of current CTA users, underscoring the concentration of minority employment in related passenger transport fields.
A UC San Diego survey reported that 85 percent of Americans believe widespread use of driverless cars would lead to job losses for ride-hailing, ridesharing and delivery drivers. The Department of Commerce previously projected that autonomous vehicle adoption could affect the occupations of 3.8 million motor vehicle operators. Such potential displacement underscores the need for measured implementation to safeguard existing workforce roles in communities dependent on these positions.
