Mayor Brandon Johnson is talking about their use and recent incidents.
Two recent incidents caught on video of food delivery robots smashing into bus shelters days apart happened as Chicagoans continue to debate whether the robots are a public benefit or a nuisance.
They have become a common sight in parts of Lincoln Park. Food delivery robots can be seen making their way down a sidewalk, carrying a meal to a waiting customer.
But on Sunday, there was a delivery gone wrong, when a robot operated by Serve Robotics smashed through a CTA bus shelter at Grand and Racine in West Town.
Then on Monday, a robot operated by Coco Robotics hit a bus shelter at North and Larrabee in Old Town.
Both Serve and Coco said they will pay for repairs and are looking into what caused the robots to get off track.
Debate over food delivery robots, videos of mishaps going viral
The back-to-back incidents are unsettling to Lincoln Park resident Melissa Bers, who says she was not a fan of the robots to begin with.
"I think that it takes away jobs from people," Bers said. "Second of all, I think they're dangerous to cars, to people, animals get scared of them."
Coco first came to the city in late 2024, while Serve rolled out its robots in September, as part of a pilot program launched by the departments of transportation and business affairs and consumer protection.
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Mayor Johnson said Wednesday he's aware of incidents and that the pilot program, in effect until May of 2027, is a way to see what works and what needs to be improved.
"There's clearly a need for these forms of deliveries, and it's going to certainly give us an opportunity to reflect on city assets, clearly the strength of these particular devices," Johnson said. "Whether it's glass or any other form that's on display that could be disrupted or interrupted."
A petition to end the delivery robot program has garnered more than 3,700 signatures.
Alderman Daniel LaSpata declined to allow the robot companies to expand beyond his portion of the 1st Ward following negative feedback from people.
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