Waymo Robotaxis Are Heading to Philadelphia and NYC

Waymo, the pioneering autonomous driving company owned by Alphabet, has initiated two strategic “road trips” to Philadelphia and New York City. This move signals a significant interest in expanding its advanced self-driving technology into the dense and complex urban environments of the Northeastern United States.

These “road trips” are part of Waymo’s established testing protocol, which precedes any potential commercial launch. The process typically involves deploying a small fleet of human-driven vehicles equipped with Waymo’s sophisticated autonomous driving system. The primary goal is to meticulously map the new urban landscape, gathering crucial data on road conditions, traffic patterns, and environmental factors. Following this, the vehicles undergo autonomous testing, initially with a safety driver onboard, to refine the AI driver’s performance based on real-world data and learnings.

This systematic approach has previously paved the way for commercial services. A notable example is Waymo’s 2023 road trip to Santa Monica, which subsequently led to the launch of commercial robotaxi services across a significant portion of Los Angeles County, including Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, and Hollywood.

For its Philadelphia deployment, Waymo intends to focus on the city’s most challenging areas, including downtown and major freeways. A company spokesperson confirmed that Waymo vehicles would be observed operating “at all hours throughout various Philadelphia neighborhoods, from North Central to Eastwick, University City, and as far east as the Delaware River,” indicating a comprehensive data collection effort.

In New York City, Waymo’s operations will involve manual driving in key Manhattan areas, spanning from just north of Central Park down to The Battery, as well as parts of Downtown Brooklyn. The company will also extend its mapping efforts into Jersey City and Hoboken, New Jersey, showcasing a broader regional interest.

Waymo had previously applied for a permit in New York City to test its autonomous vehicles with a human safety driver. While approval is pending, this is not Waymo’s first foray into the Big Apple. In late 2021, the company initiated a mapping operation in parts of Manhattan and New Jersey. More recently, Waymo undertook a “road trip” to Buffalo to specifically test its self-driving capabilities in challenging winter conditions, underscoring its commitment to developing robust autonomous solutions for diverse climates.

Even with potential approval for autonomous testing with a safety specialist, the path to fully driverless commercial deployment in NYC remains a long one. Current New York City regulations do not permit the operation of self-driving vehicles without a human in the front seat, a policy Waymo is actively advocating to change as it continues to advance autonomous technology.

Waymo’s ongoing expansion and testing across the nation are built upon its established commercial robotaxi services, which are currently operational in Atlanta, Austin, the Bay Area, Los Angeles, and Phoenix. Looking ahead, Waymo has announced plans to launch services in Miami this year and Washington, D.C., in 2026, solidifying its position as a leader in the autonomous vehicle industry.