Proposed legislation opens the door to robotaxi services in New York


Waymo, Alphabet’s self-driving car company, tested its autonomous vehicles in New York City in 2025, and as part of proposed legislation from New York Governor Kathy Hochul, the company could soon offer its services across the state, Wired reports.

Governor Hochul’s proposed legislation was formally announced during a State of the State address covering policy proposals for the upcoming year. The new law, if passed, would loosen the state’s restrictions on self-driving car companies by forming a pilot program that would allow for “the limited deployment of commercial for-hire autonomous passenger vehicles outside New York City.” Applicants to the pilot program would need to demonstrate that they have “local support for [autonomous vehicle] deployment” and prove their “adherence to the highest possible safety standards” to be considered.

As a company with presumably good odds of being approved, Waymo supports the legislation. “Governor Hochul’s proposal to legalize fully autonomous vehicles is a transformative moment for New York’s transportation system,” Waymo’s Head of Global Public Policy Justin Kintz said in a statement. “With the Governor’s leadership, New York has the opportunity to pair its investments in slower speeds, better traffic enforcement, and first-in-the-nation congestion management strategies with Waymo’s demonstrably safe technology, creating a future where living in New York is safer, easier, and more accessible.”

Waymo already has commercial robotaxi services in select cities in California, Texas and Georgia, offered on its own or in partnership with Uber. The company announced plans to expand in Texas and Florida late last year, and is already committed to offering service in Las Vegas, San Diego and Detroit in 2026. Wired reports Waymo spent over $370,000 lobbying regulators in New York about telecommunications and transportation issues in 2025, and based on today’s announcement, it appears those efforts are paying off.



Source link

  • Related Posts

    LinkedIn’s CEO is moving on; please hold your tearful video tributes

    Ryan Roslansky has stepped down as LinkedIn’s CEO after six years running the world’s largest professional network. Dan Shapero, the company’s COO, takes over immediately. Source link

    Anthropic investigates report of rogue access to hack-enabling Mythos AI | AI (artificial intelligence)

    The AI developer Anthropic has confirmed it is investigating a report that unauthorised users have gained access to its Mythos model, which it has warned poses risks to cybersecurity. The…

    Leave a Reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    You Missed

    Israeli strike kills journalist after ongoing attacks blocked rescuers, Lebanon says | Lebanon

    Israeli strike kills journalist after ongoing attacks blocked rescuers, Lebanon says | Lebanon

    Trump now says Iran’s government is ‘seriously fractured’ after previously praising new leaders

    Trump now says Iran’s government is ‘seriously fractured’ after previously praising new leaders

    Canadian immigration minister's sporadic communication about new permanent resident program fuelling misinformation, lawyers charge

    Canadian immigration minister's sporadic communication about new permanent resident program fuelling misinformation, lawyers charge

    Former MrBeast staffer accuses YouTuber’s company of sexism and leave violations

    Former MrBeast staffer accuses YouTuber’s company of sexism and leave violations

    LinkedIn’s CEO is moving on; please hold your tearful video tributes

    LinkedIn’s CEO is moving on; please hold your tearful video tributes

    Ecco the Dolphin: Complete revealed, a mixture of remaster and brand new game spanning every Ecco game from the 8 to 16-bit era

    Ecco the Dolphin: Complete revealed, a mixture of remaster and brand new game spanning every Ecco game from the 8 to 16-bit era