Waymo can now operate its autonomous robotaxis on roads in parts of Los Angeles and the Bay Area following approval of its expansion by a California regulator (PDF) plans for Friday. This means the company's cars will now be able to travel at up to 65 mph on local roads and highways in approved areas. in a technology/2024/03/01/waymo-expands-california-los-angeles-highways/”>statement to Washington PostWaymo spokeswoman Julia Ilina said the company's expansion will be “careful and incremental” and that it has “no immediate plans” to extend service to highways.
Now, the CPUC has concluded that Waymo has shown its “attention to continually evaluating and improving its technology, safety practices, and human-involving aspects of its operations…that minimize the risk of driverless passenger service operations.” ” in expanded areas. The decision gave Waymo permission to begin its expansion immediately.
The CPUC wrote in its decision that it had denied a request from the Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT) for evidentiary hearings on “disputed facts” because it had not “identified material disputed facts that would be resolved through formal hearings.” LADOT also asked the CPUC to wait until a California law was passed, Senate Bill 915 — which would give cities more regulatory influence over robotaxis — is settled, but the CPUC called that and other arguments “beyond the scope of staff's delegated authority.”
Several groups that wrote to the CPUC in support of the expansion “generally highlighted the potential safety, accessibility, economic and environmental benefits” of Waymo's service, according to the commission. Some still had concerns, such as the American Council of the Blind, which said the CPUC should not approve Waymo's application without “beginning the process” of instituting new safety and accessibility standards. The commission refused, calling this and other regulatory issues “broader audiovisual policy issues.”
