Waymo officially announces expansion into Sacramento
By Cecilio Padilla
Sacramentans will soon be able to hail a ride on Waymo’s driverless taxis.
Waymo officially announced its plans to expand into Sacramento on Thursday. However, no official start of service date was given.
“As California’s capital and a growing center for progress, Sacramento’s spirit of innovation makes it the perfect next step for our expansion,” the company said in a statement.
The move comes just months after the California Department of Motor Vehicles approved a major expansion for Waymo that allows the rideshare company to operate its robotaxis in more regions across the state – including parts of Solano, Yolo and Sacramento counties.
Sacramento Mayor Kevin McCarty hailed the coming of Waymo in a statement shared by the company.
“As Sacramento grows, so does our need for safe, reliable transportation. We’re excited to work with Waymo to expand mobility options that are designed with safety at their core,” McCarty stated.
A fleet of Waymo’s vehicles is being driven the old-fashioned way to Sacramento this week, the company says. Once there, the cars will start learning the ins and outs of Sacramento streets.
Waymo says it’s taking a careful, step-by-step approach used in other major cities, working closely with local and state leaders along the way.
“We will be looking to make sure that safety is number one priority so that everyone can operate in and around these vehicles safely,” City Councilmember Phil Pluckebaum said.
The announcement comes just one day after top executives from Waymo and Tesla testified before the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee, arguing that self-driving technology can save lives.
“Our data shows that we are ten times less likely to be in a serious-injury collision compared to human drivers,” Waymo’s chief safety officer, Mauricio Peña, said during the hearing.
Waymo also says its expansion into Sacramento lines up with the city’s Vision Zero goal, aimed at eliminating traffic deaths and serious injuries.
“Human-operated vehicles clearly don’t have the greatest track record, so we’re looking at this as yet another strategy to get folks where they’re going safely and efficiently,” Pluckebaum said.
Waymo robotaxis currently operate in the San Francisco Bay Area as well as four other cities. Planned service in Boston was also part of Waymo’s Thursday announcement.
