Autonomous vehicles (AVs) from the Google-affiliated company Waymo are now operating in Manhattan and “parts of Downtown Brooklyn,” Crain’s New York Business reported. The vehicles, at least for now, are being driven by humans, but the company said it soon hopes to introduce its robotaxi service to city streets.
Waymo said the vehicles are collecting driving data, mapping local infrastructure and learning traffic patterns. The company says it wants to be as prepared as possible to launch its driverless rideshare service when – or if – the state lifts its ban on fully autonomous vehicles.
AV testing is allowed in all five boroughs, provided there is a human supervisor ready to take control – but it requires a permit from NYC’s Department of Transportation (DOT).
Experts say that operating in NYC will be a big test for the technology, as the city is far more congested than Waymo’s other U.S. markets. The city has “some of the most challenging urban street environments for an AV to navigate,” the DOT says.
Waymo’s arrival in the city has drawn opposition from for-hire vehicle and yellow cab drivers. Advocates from the various segments of the industry have begun working together to battle the existential threat AVs pose to professional drivers.
In an Op-Ed that ran in amNY in July, Matthew W. Daus, Esq. – a former NYC Taxi & Limousine Commissioner, chair of the transportation law practice at Windels Marx and chair of the New York City Bar’s transportation committee – wrote: “For now, Waymo’s NYC operations… [are] a data-gathering and simulation exercise that is an essential first step before the company can consider launching robotaxi service. It will take time before passengers can ride in driverless cars, as a recent bill to fully deploy Waymo in New York did not pass. The state allows companies to obtain a permit from the DMV to test AVs on public roads with human safety drivers. At the same time, to test in NYC, companies must obtain approval from the NYC Department of Transportation. Even with state and local approval, Waymo cannot launch commercial robotaxi services in the five boroughs without approval from the NYC Taxi & Limousine Commission to operate as taxis or rideshare vehicles. However, there is no legal pathway to such approval nor a plan to create one. The launch of AVs in NYC remains uncertain, whether as taxicabs, a high-volume service like Uber and Lyft, or leasing the vehicles to existing companies and taxi medallion owners.”
Sources: Crain’s New York Business, amNY
