Waymo plans self-driving vehicle test in NYC, eyes expansion
Share this @internewscast.com

Ride-hailing pioneer Waymo said it aims to bring a fleet of autonomous vehicles to New York City beginning next month.

Waymo, the company under Google parent Alphabet, announced on Wednesday that it has submitted a permit application with the city’s Department of Transportation. The goal is to test a “small fleet” of self-driving cars in Manhattan, each with a trained specialist onboard to monitor operations.

“This is not an expansion, but we intend to eventually introduce our fully autonomous ride-hailing service to the city,” Waymo said in a statement.

The company is advocating for a broader revision in New York state law, which would permit the operation of fully driverless vehicles without any human supervision inside the car.

It previously drove some of its vehicles through the densely-populated city for a few months in 2021, but these were fully operated by human drivers and used to map city streets.

Waymo currently operates 1,500 fully-electric, autonomous cars across San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix and Austin.

But New York City comes with its own unique set of challenges – like jaywalkers, cyclists who veer out of bike lanes, horse-drawn carriages, frequent construction work and zig-zagging taxi cabs.

It plans to drive vehicles manually throughout Manhattan, like it did in 2021, as it waits for permit approval.

The NYC Department of Transportation and Governor Kathy Hochul’s office did not immediately respond to The Post’s requests for comment.

Waymo has grown massively since its creation in 2009 as Google’s Self-Driving Car Project.

Now, it provides more than 250,000 fully autonomous paid trips each week across major US cities.

The service claims to make “roads safer” with fewer injury-causing crashes compared to an average human driver.

But operating vehicles without human drivers is not without its complications.

Most recently, Waymo was forced to halt its self-driving service in downtown Los Angeles after five of its vehicles were set ablaze during volatile anti-ICE protests.

Earlier in the year, it recalled nearly its entire fleet over a software glitch that could make the vehicles more likely to crash into chains, gates and other roadway barriers.

The vehicles have enraged California residents with incessant beeping, “trapped” passengers inside while screeching to a stop in the middle of a highway and been involved in nearly 20 crashes.

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like
Trump says US will begin talks with China on possible TikTok deal as early as Monday

Trump Announces Potential TikTok Negotiations with China to Start Monday

President Trump said he will begin talks with China in coming days…
Car engulfed in flames near a building.

Explosion Rocks Domino’s Store in Utah After Collision with SUV, Leaving Three Injured

THIS is the shocking moment a three-car pile-up caused a burning SUV…
Tropical Storm Chantal forecast to bring heavy rain to the Carolinas

Chantal Set to Deliver Heavy Rainfall to the Carolinas

Tropical Storm Chantal has developed off the southeast coast of the U.S.,…
Keir Starmer leaving 10 Downing Street carrying files.

Labour’s £5 Billion Welfare U-Turn Leaves Two-Child Benefit Cap Elimination Unlikely

LABOUR will not scrap the two-child benefit cap despite pressure from left…
Alabama fireworks mishap turns boat into fireball on Fourth of July, six hospitalized

Alabama Fireworks Incident Ignites Boat on Fourth of July, Six Hospitalized

They went out with a bang. A poorly rigged fireworks set-up in…
North Korean avoids land mines to cross DMZ into South Korea as Seoul softens stance on Pyongyang

North Korean Defector Dodges Land Mines to Enter South Korea Amid Warming Relations

A North Korean man walked across one of the most dangerous borders…
Russian T-90 tanks in a military parade on Red Square.

Could This Trigger World War 3? NATO Chief Warns of Coordinated Attacks by Putin and China

A CHILLING forecast of how World War Three will start has been…
Ukraine, Denmark ink landmark deal to produce weapons in Europe

Ukraine and Denmark Sign Historic Agreement to Manufacture Weapons in Europe

Kyiv struck a landmark deal with Denmark Friday that paves the way…
Camp Mystic director died while trying to save campers from Texas floods

Camp Mystic Director Loses Life in Attempt to Rescue Campers During Texas Floods

Dick Eastland, known for his long tenure as owner and director of…
Chicago-area priest Father Curtis Lambert accused of sexual abuse of a minor at Sacred Heart Parish in Melrose Park: Archdiocese

Chicago Priest Father Curtis Lambert Accused of Sexual Abuse of a Minor at Melrose Park’s Sacred Heart Parish: Archdiocese Reveals

MELROSE PARK, Ill. (WLS) — A priest with service history at several…
MSNBC Trivializes the Holocaust to Score Political Points on Trump and 'Alligator Alcatraz'

MSNBC Minimizes the Holocaust to Politicize Trump and ‘Alligator Alcatraz’

The article, “Don’t call it ‘Alligator Alcatraz.’ Call it a concentration camp,”…
Subway riders deliver street justice to brute who grabbed screaming woman on platform

Subway Commuters Take Action Against Man Who Attacked Woman on Platform

A group of everyday New York City subway riders delivered some street…