Waymo to test self-driving cars in NYC

Waymo, the self-driving car company owned by Google’s parent company Alphabet, is coming to New York City. The company received a permit to begin testing a limited number of autonomous vehicles (AV) in parts of Manhattan and Downtown Brooklyn, Mayor Eric Adams and the city’s Department of Transportation (DOT) announced on Friday. Current state law does not allow for fully driverless riding, so a trained specialist will be behind the steering wheel at all times during the pilot run.

“We’re a tech-friendly administration and we’re always looking for innovative ways to safely move our city forward,” Adams said. “New York City is proud to welcome Waymo to test this new technology in Manhattan and Brooklyn, as we know this testing is only the first step in moving our city further into the 21st century. As we continue to implement responsible innovation, we will always prioritize street safety.”

The testing period will begin immediately and run through September. Under the permit, Waymo can test eight Jaguar I-Pace SUVs, according to TechCrunch. The public won’t be able to ride in the driverless cars during the pilot.

Following the test, the company can apply for an extension. The city notes that the approval of the permit is strictly related to testing AV technology, since the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission currently prohibits the use of autonomous vehicles for taxi service.

Since state law currently does not allow AVs, Waymo is lobbying legislators to remove the ban. With fully driverless cars already operating in Los Angeles and San Francisco, the company has looked to expand to the Big Apple for several years. In 2021, Waymo used its Chrysler Pacifica minivans to manually map the city, and this past June, applied for the permit.

As required by the permit, Waymo must regularly meet with DOT officials and provide safety data.

“With over 10 million rides completed in five major U.S. cities and a strong safety record, we’re proud to be working with leaders to lay the groundwork to bring this life saving technology to New Yorkers one day, beginning with receiving the first-ever permit issued in the city to drive autonomously,” Annabel Chang, head of U.S. state and local public policy at Waymo, said.

“We believe it is essential for companies to collaborate directly with cities on the rollout of autonomous technology and are pleased to have reached this next step in New York City.”

While Waymo says its technology allows for safer streets, the company in May recalled more than 1,200 of its cars after faulty software caused them to crash into chains, gates, and other roadway barriers, as CBS News reported at the time.

Plus, the robotaxis have the city’s nearly 200,000 cab and ride share drivers worried about their future.

“This is just big money from tech finance trying to get around the rules and regulations to essentially destroy a workforce,” Bhairavi Desai, executive director of the NY Taxi Workers Alliance, told Gothamist in June.

“We’ve been down this path before when Uber and Lyft came into the industry. They destroyed the income levels and the job security that drivers had. Ten years later, the entire workforce is still reeling from it.”

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