CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA – If you’ve spent any time in San Francisco lately, you’ve seen them–sleek white Jaguar cars with spinning lasers on top, navigating through traffic without a human behind the wheel.
Waymos have been ubiquitous in the city. I ride them at least once per week, and it’s a surprisingly pleasant, relaxing experience to be driven around town by an AI robot.
Now, the company reports that it’s received the green light from California’s Department of Motor vehicles to expand operations through most of the Bay Area–including the 925!
Colorful DMV maps authorizing full self-driving extend up to Napa and Sonoma (and in fact as far north as Sacramento, and as far south as San Jose. Previously, the company had received authorization to operate in most of the South Bay.
To be clear, just because Waymo has received authorization to operate in an area, that doesn’t mean Waymo vehicles will start popping up on the streets right away.
The company needs more approvals to start charging for autonomous rides in many parts of the Bay Area, so this is more of a first step than a done deal.
Still, Waymo’s safety record is stellar and its ridership numbers are surprisingly solid–almost a third of rideshare rides in San Francisco are now autonomous.
Also, there’s competition to worry about. Waymo’s nemesis, the Amazon-back Zoox, just received authorization to start accepting passengers in San Francisco. The idea of Amazon nipping at their heels may motivate Waymo to expand more quickly into its new authorized regions–including ours!
Personally, I can’t wait. Again, riding in a Waymo is uniquely pleasant. The cars are beautiful, electric and very nicely maintained. There’s no driven to make small talk with. And I’ve heard from female riders especially that they feel far more comfortable without a stranger in the car when riding alone.
If people can take a Waymo to BART instead of tying up the family car for the day, that would be a big win for transit. If they can ride a Waymo into downtown Walnut Creek for a few drinks and avoid driving home (and also tying up a parking space even if they’re not drinking!), that’s a win too.
I’ve found that Waymo elegantly solves the “last mile” transit problem. I can take BART to within a few miles of my home, but as my recent crazy transit experience shows, the last few miles home from the station are the hardest.
Taking a Waymo would be an ideal solution, again without the unpredictability of a traditional rideshare.
Some people, of course, will never get behind the wheel of a robot car. Or they think they won’t. Data shows that the best way to convince people that autonomous cars are a good idea is to get them inside one. Most peoples’ fears fade quickly.
I will say that riding Waymos is not quite as convenient in the ‘burbs than in the city. I’ve ridden Waymo vehicles in suburban areas of Atlanta and also South San Francisco, and the fact that they stick exactly to speed limits–and that there’s not as many on the road–can mean longer rides and waits.
Still, I can’t wait for Waymo to make its way to us. I dream of calling up a robot car, riding it to BART, and then going into the city without ever having to touch my own vehicle.
If Waymo’s new maps prove accurate, that future may not be far off.
