Buckle up, Waymo is coming to New York City
New York City’s mayor’s office and Department of Transportation have permitted Waymo to begin testing its robotaxis south of 112th Street in Manhattan and in Downtown Brooklyn. The initial rollout will include a self-driving fleet of up to eight vehicles through the end of September. During this testing phase, a human driver will be behind the wheel as Waymo maps the streets of its designated operational areas, or geofence. Waymo faces several unique challenges if it wants to maintain rideshare service in New York City—several of which it hasn’t faced in its current cities, such as Phoenix. Below is what Waymo and the public can expect as testing progresses.
Waymo
1. Trouble navigating New York’s streetscape
While Waymo is widely considered the leading autonomous rideshare provider, the company has hit a few bumps along the way—many of which have been filmed by locals. In 2024, Waymo collected 589 San Francisco parking tickets, which represents less than 1% of the city’s total tickets that year, but the nature of these citations will likely carry over into New York City. Waymo has attributed its San Francisco tickets to vehicles dropping off passengers in commercial loading zones when alternative drop-off areas were congested main roads or a spot too far from the rider’s destination, along with brief parking between trips when cars were too far from Waymo’s facility. Blocking traffic and ignoring street cleaning schedules were also common citations.
As of now, Waymo hasn’t publicly disclosed a location for its fleet’s New York facility, but congestion is a constant factor in the city—especially in the two areas where the company is mapping. If Waymo progresses to actual rideshare testing in New York with passengers, you can expect to see social media posts or news stories about its vehicles occasionally causing trouble, like blocking traffic. Regarding Waymo’s New York headquarters, where cars get cleaned and charged, this location’s efficiency is vital given the city’s general lack of EV charging infrastructure.
In addition to heavy traffic, Waymo’s autonomous rideshare fleet will also contend with frequent road closures, double parking, seasonal weather challenges not present in cities like Phoenix, and unpredictability with pedestrians and cyclists. Waymo claims that compared to humans, its vehicles have 92% fewer crashes with injuries to pedestrians, 82% fewer crashes with injuries to cyclists, and 82% fewer crashes with injuries to motorcycle riders. This data was formed from over 56.7 million miles driven by Waymo’s vehicles.
2. Regulatory and legal obstacles
Waymo’s acquisition of a New York City testing permit is a big win for the company, but it still faces a significant legal hurdle. Robotaxis aren’t yet legal in New York, unlike in cities including, but not limited to, Austin or San Francisco. To fully launch its service in New York, Waymo will need to get a New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission license. Other East Coast cities, such as Boston, are mounting a significant challenge to Waymo’s expansion beyond its initial mapping phase. Boston city councilor Ed Flynn expressed concerns over Waymo’s ability to navigate Boston’s double-parked cars, non-autonomous rideshares, delivery vehicles, heavy summer road construction, and street closings, CBS reports. Labor unions in New York, such as the Transport Workers Union representing transit workers, are also likely to pose resistance over concerns like safety for bus drivers.
Waymo
3. Escalating robotaxi rivalry with Tesla
While Waymo’s robotaxi competitors are playing catch-up, the company has what could prove to be a formidable opponent in its rearview mirror. Tesla recently posted a job opening in New York City’s Flushing, Queens neighborhood, for a vehicle operator who will collect data using a vehicle powered by its Autopilot autonomous driving software. The job post reads: “We are looking for a highly motivated self-starter to join our vehicle data collection team. As a Prototype Vehicle Operator, you will be responsible for driving an engineering vehicle for extended periods, conducting dynamic audio and camera data collection for testing and training purposes.”
Flushing is less traffic and pedestrian-dense than in Manhattan south of 112th Street and Downtown Brooklyn, but Tesla’s job post doesn’t specify where the data collection will occur. If Waymo and Tesla successfully enter New York City’s rideshare economy, the two companies’ rivalry will surely escalate as each works to gain the public’s trust in navigating the complex area.
Getty
Final thoughts
Waymo’s acquisition of a New York testing permit is noteworthy, even if it’s just for mapping, as the approval marks the introduction of autonomous ridesharing in the city. Though a human safety operator will be behind the wheel of each Waymo during mapping, the vehicle is still driving itself—and in two of New York’s most congested regions to boot. Waymo has proved the efficiency of its fleet’s self-driving technology, but successful testing is just the start of a battle to expand in New York. A combination of skepticism between New York City council members, organized labor unions, and rideshare drivers—like we’ve seen in Boston—could spell trouble for Waymo’s hopes of gaining full legal approval.
