Robotaxi company Waymo is seeking to continue expanding in the Bay Area, and has applied for final approval to offer its driverless services in San Jose, where Mayor Matt Mahan and former mayor and local Congressman Sam Liccardo have offered support for the expansion.
The Google-spinoff company has applied to the California Public Utilities Commission — which along with the California Department of Motor Vehicles regulates robotaxis — to operate in nearly all of San Jose, plus Campbell, Cupertino, Los Gatos, the Peninsula hills, Milpitas and Pacifica.
Waymo, spun off from Google in 2017, received DMV approval for the expansion last month.
Mahan in a letter last week to the commission urged them to approve the expansion, citing the need for “enhanced transportation options” for residents, workers and visitors.
“Additionally, San José is set to host major global events in 2026, including the FIFA World Cup and Super Bowl 60,” Mahan’s letter said. “It is essential that we provide safe, reliable, and forward-thinking transportation options, such as Waymo, to ensure a positive and memorable experience for fans.”
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Liccardo, whose 16th Congressional district includes much of the proposed expansion area, cited safety, highlighting human error as the cause of almost all vehicle-crash deaths, and telling the commission in his letter Tuesday that autonomous vehicles represent one of many technologies that could save lives.
San Jose’s Downtown Association, which represents businesses and property owners, in a letter to the commission referred to the city’s less-than-busy core, and touted robotaxi service as a way to “encourage employees and customers to return to downtown after the pandemic.” The downtown needs easy, reliable transportation options to bring people to and from restaurants, workplaces and entertainment venues, the group’s CEO Alexander Stettinski wrote to the commission earlier this month.
“Waymo’s autonomous ride-hailing service can help bridge the last-mile gap between major transit stations and key destinations, making it easier for commuters and visitors to navigate downtown without relying on personal vehicles,” Stettinski said.
Waymo, headquartered in Mountain View, initially faced a rocky road in bringing its pioneering technology to Bay Area streets and highways, with some local leaders chafing against their lack of authority over where the vehicles operate. San Francisco officials fought bitterly against Waymo and now-defunct Cruise robotaxis from General Motors, after their vehicles repeatedly snarled traffic and blocked emergency vehicles, with Cruise the main offender.
Since then, San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie has lent support to Waymo, and the company has extended operations down the Peninsula. Waymo is also working to offer robotaxi service at San Francisco International Airport.
