The future of transportation in California just got a big boost. Waymo, the self-driving car unit of Alphabet, has received approval from state regulators to expand its robotaxi service in the Bay Area and Los Angeles. This massive expansion allows Waymo’s autonomous vehicles to traverse both city streets and highways at speeds up to 65 mph.
While Waymo has no immediate plans to bring its robotaxis onto California highways, the approval marks a significant milestone for the company. Waymo has been operating its 24/7 ride-hailing service in San Francisco and Phoenix for months, but has faced sharp criticism from local officials concerned about public safety. The latest ruling from the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) gives Waymo the green light to rapidly scale up operations across the state.
A Careful and Incremental Rollout
Despite having the regulatory approval to do so, Waymo plans to take an extremely cautious approach to expanding its self-driving fleet in California. The company will likely begin by having safety drivers behind the wheel on highways before eventually transitioning to fully driverless operations.
This careful and incremental rollout reflects Waymo’s concerns about integrating autonomous vehicles with conventional traffic safely. However, it also shows that Waymo is committed to deploying its technology responsibly. Waymo’s methodical approach aims to ease public concerns about self-driving cars sharing the road.
Major Expansion Across the State
The CPUC’s decision specifically allows Waymo to operate in parts of San Mateo and Los Angeles Counties. This covers large swaths of Silicon Valley and the entire city of Los Angeles. With over 4 million residents, Los Angeles will be by far Waymo’s largest market for robotaxis.
In her opposition to the expansion, L.A. Mayor Karen Bass expressed worries about the safety impacts of having thousands of driverless cars on the city’s 7,500 miles of roads. However, Waymo and its supporters highlight the potential benefits. These include improved road safety by removing human errors and traffic violations.
Waymo’s robotaxis will first focus on core city areas before expanding outward over time. This gives the company a contained environment to fine-tune operations and closely monitor vehicle performance. Once proven safe and reliable in urban centers, Waymo’s driverless fleet aims to eventually provide service citywide in L.A.
Improving Road Safety
According to groups like the California Bicycle Coalition, self-driving cars have immense potential to create safer streets. Waymo’s vehicles strictly obey speed limits and road rules. This could significantly reduce accidents and fatalities caused by reckless or impaired drivers.
In addition, autonomous cars have 360-degree vision and superhuman reaction times. These abilities allow Waymo vehicles to detect hazards and avoid collisions better than humans can. As robotaxis rack up millions of miles across California, the roads should become progressively safer for everyone.
However, recent mishaps have fueled concerns about the current limitations of self-driving technology. Over several days in February, Waymo cars were involved in collisions with a gate and a cyclist in San Francisco. Then the company voluntarily recalled vehicles to fix a software glitch.
While none of these incidents caused major injuries, they underscore the challenges still facing autonomous driving systems. As advanced as Waymo’s technology is, it will take time and experience before robotaxis operate as safely and reliably as the company promises.
The Future of Transportation
The CPUC’s approval puts California at the forefront of autonomous vehicle deployment nationwide. The state is now set to become a critical testing ground for the future of transportation. Waymo’s robotaxis will share the roads with cruise vehicles from GM, Uber, and several other companies also testing in California.
As self-driving cars become increasingly commonplace, they promise to reshape cities and our lives. Key benefits beyond traffic safety include expanded mobility access for non-drivers and reduced congestion and emissions. Car ownership could even become obsolete in the era of driverless ride-hailing.
However, realizing this utopian vision depends on autonomous vehicles proving themselves ready for prime time. This process will likely take years of public road testing. While the potential is enormous, Waymo and other companies still have a long road ahead to make self-driving cars ubiquitous in California and beyond.
