Waymo, the private sector leader in autonomous vehicle technology, is lobbying against NYC. Our company’s challenge is to grow and scale our services, particularly beyond our known markets where we’re most established. Today, Waymo provides over 250,000 fully autonomous paid trips per week. To see their impact, you can check out their services in cities including Austin, Los Angeles, Phoenix and San Francisco. The company’s new initiative further addresses these challenges faced by cities all over the New York metropolitan area. To be sure, this regulatory climate presents its own, unitary-specific challenges and operational needs.
Even with Waymo’s considerable experience in self-driving tech, their vehicles have never run in autonomous mode in New York City. Local regulations stipulate that each autonomous vehicle must have a human driver. This human driver needs to be constantly prepared to assume control at a moment’s notice. The state requires a $5 million insurance policy for testing permits. This requirement increases accountability and improves safety. Each operator of the test vehicles will go through extensive training. This helps to make sure they can safely operate what could be some truly innovative vehicles.
Waymo previously deployed its Chrysler Pacifica minivans to manually drive and map Manhattan in 2021, gathering crucial data about the city’s unique traffic patterns and road conditions. All of this groundwork is especially important. It sets the company up to launch in a market that offers some of the same challenges that exist in crowded, congested, booming San Francisco. Given Waymo’s first mover advantage and fleet of experience navigating complex urban environments, the company seems well suited to take on this new endeavor.
Waymo is partnering with a variety of organizations to ensure an inclusive welcome to the Big Apple. MADD NY, YAI, the National Federation of the Blind, and Bronx Community College are part of this collaborative effort. These collaborations are an important part of creating goodwill in the community. Together, they illustrate Waymo’s commitment to expanding transportation choice and opportunity to every single resident.
In its planned operations, Waymo intends to have two individuals in each vehicle: one driver and one passenger seated beside them. The passenger’s role will be crucial in directing the driver’s actions, monitoring the software’s performance, and logging comments for further evaluation. This focus addresses New York’s legal obligations by requiring all individuals operating motor vehicles keep at least one hand on their chosen vehicle’s steering mechanism. Further, it calls for safety and oversight at every step of the testing process.
Waymo has successfully scaled its operations in several other cities over the past four years, proving its adaptability and commitment to innovation. The company is now looking to prepare to hit the streets of New York City. Most importantly, it’s laser-focused on taking on the deep, persistent challenges that come with this massively contested urban expanse.