Waymo wants to expand south to San Jose, the Peninsula Hills and other cities

Waymo wants to expand south to San Jose, the Peninsula Hills and other cities.

Despite some issues, Waymo’s San Francisco ridership grew fourfold in the first eight months of 2024.

SAN JOSE, CA - Waymo is looking to expand and this time in the south. The company also has support from Silicon Valley Congress member Sam Liccardo and San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan.

"My job is to make sure that they’re following the federal rules and that what we see is an improvement in safety," said Liccardo.

Waymo is planning to expand south to San Jose, parts of the Peninsula and other nearby including San Jose, Campbell, Cupertino, Milpitas, Pacifica, the Peninsula Hills and Los Gatos. If its latest application is approved. The company applied to the California Public Utilities Commission, which helps regulate robotaxis or driverless cars.

What they're saying:

Liccardo spoke about Waymo on Thursday before a town hall in Los Gatos.

"Waymo cars take up just as much room as any car in terms of traffic. So, they don’t really resolve the traffic issue. They certainly resolve transportation needs for a lot of folks. We’re going to need transit, and we’re going to continue to need transit. It’s an important part of our future no matter what," said Liccardo.

San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan has also expressed his support for Waymo. He released this statement saying:

"Waymo embodies our region’s spirit of innovation — so it’s about time they joined us here in the capital of Silicon Valley," said San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan. "They’ll fit right in alongside our AI civic pilot programs and AI startup incentives as we redefine how cities deliver services, including giving people more options for getting where they need to go."

The other side:

Still, some people say they’re not sold on driverless cars just yet.

"I’m still a driver and I like the control. So, I wouldn’t use them yet, but I’m 71. Maybe I need to learn some new tricks," said Cindi Sears, of Portola Valley.

"It worries me that there’s no driver. I know we’re supposed to be all about technology, but I know technology fails. They’ve had some troubles in San Francisco, so it does worry me," said JoAnn Loulan, of Portola Valley.

Driverless vehicles have faced multiple issues in San Francisco since launching in 2022, including crashes, pedestrian injuries, and some vandalism. Despite those issues, Waymo’s San Francisco ridership grew fourfold in the first eight months of 2024.

"So, I’m in favor of it. I trust driverless cars. I use the fully autonomous feature on Tesla. So, yeah, I’m a fan," said Brian Fernandez, of San Jose.

San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie has also shown support for Waymo. The company says it’s working to offer service at San Francisco International Airport.

The Source: Mercury News, Previous KTVU reporting

Featured