A Robot Invasion is Dividing Chicago Neighborhoods. Whose Side Are You On?

Meet Stacey, Quincy, and Rajesh.

They’re delivering your Taco Bell, dividing neighborhoods, and one Chicagoan has had enough.

CHICAGO — If you’ve walked around Lakeview or Lincoln Park lately, you’ve met the new neighbors.

They’re boxy, they’re silent, and they have names like Stacey, Quincy, and Rajesh.

They’re the food delivery robots, and they’ve officially become the most controversial new residents on the North Side.

One minute, they’re the stars of your Instagram story, looking adorable while patiently waiting to cross Lincoln Avenue.

The next, they’re the villain in a neighborhood Facebook rant after allegedly hogging the sidewalk. Love ‘em or hate ‘em, these buzzing bots are forcing Chicagoans to pick a side.

Not So Fast, Says One Lincoln Park Dad

And for Lincoln Park resident Josh Robertson, the battle lines have been drawn.

His “futuristic and neat” first impression soured when he and his young kids had to step off the sidewalk to let a robot pass.

“Something about that felt a little off,”

Robertson said. That one moment sparked a full-blown movement.

He launched a petition called “Chicago sidewalks are for people, not delivery robots,” demanding the city hit the brakes and get some real answers on safety and accessibility.

And he’s not alone.

Over 1,500 people have signed on, with hundreds sharing their own “incident reports” of close calls with the bots.

So, What’s the Big Deal?

The complaints are piling up. Here’s what has residents fired up:

The Sidewalk Squeeze: Residents like Gaby Rodriguez from Uptown are worried. “What other corporations are we going to allow on our sidewalks? That’s the last place that was meant to be human-centric, right?”

Safety First… Or Second?: Reports are trickling in of bots colliding with bicyclists, pushing people toward the street, and generally causing chaos in the pedestrian path.

Who Asked for This?: Aldermen in the 44th and 46th Wards are now scrambling to survey residents after the bots have already been deployed, leading many to ask why the community wasn’t consulted first.

In Defense of the ‘Burrito Taxis’

But this isn’t a one-sided fight.

The companies behind the bots, Serve Robotics and Coco, are firing back.

“About half of all food deliveries… are shorter than 2 and a half miles, which basically means that all of our cities are filled with burrito taxis,” says Viggy Ram of Serve Robotics, arguing that the bots are a solution, not a problem.

Are They Really the Good Guys?

The companies say their bots are actually a benefit to the city. Their argument:

Greener Than Your Grubhub Driver: They’re electric, cutting down on the congestion and pollution from delivery cars.

Smarter Than You Think: Unlike a distracted driver, they say their bots can “look in all four directions at the same time” to make the safest choice.

So, What’s the Verdict, Chicago?

The debate is now officially on the city’s radar.

Local chambers of commerce are watching, alderpeople are collecting feedback, and every day, more Chicagoans are having their first face-to-bot encounter.

As Becca Girsch of the Lakeview/Roscoe Village Chamber of Commerce put it, “It seems like the winds are against the robots.”

So, Chicago, what’s it going to be?

Are these rolling coolers the future of convenient, eco-friendly delivery?

Or are they a sidewalk-clogging menace that needs to be sent back to the factory?

The future of our sidewalks may depend on the answer.