Waymo Increases Ride Services in Los Angeles and San Francisco, with New York City as the Next Destination
Waymo, the self-driving technology subsidiary of Alphabet Inc., is pushing further into the Bay Area and expanding its autonomous ride-hailing service in California. The latest expansion covers 80 square miles, including Los Angeles and San Francisco, but does not currently include New York City.
In San Francisco, Waymo's service area now includes the full stretch of Sunset Boulevard, but excludes San Francisco International Airport (SFO). Meanwhile, in Los Angeles, the new service area includes Playa del Rey, Ladera Heights, Echo Park, Silver Lake, and portions of Sunset Boulevard. This expansion brings Waymo's total service area across California to 250 square miles.
Waymo has been actively testing its self-driving taxis in New York City since July 2025, but a commercial autonomous ride-hailing service in the city does not have a confirmed start date as of now. The company has applied for a permit with the New York State Department of Transportation to operate autonomous vehicles in New York, and it has advocated for state-level policy changes that would allow it to offer fully driverless service in the future.
In contrast, Waymo's competitor Tesla is set to launch its Robotaxi service in Austin, Texas, on June 22. Tesla's service relies on vision-based technology and Full Self-Driving software, unlike Waymo's lidar-heavy platform.
Waymo has logged 10 million paid autonomous rides as of May 2025, with 250,000 rides completed every week across its four U.S. markets. However, Waymo's New York City service will initially operate with human specialists behind the wheel. The company has announced plans to return to New York City next month, and the service area in the city will be announced at a later date.
While Waymo's expansion stays west of the 101, the company's goal is to serve more people in more places, and New Yorkers may be next in line. As Waymo continues to expand its autonomous ride-hailing services across the United States, it remains to be seen when and where the company will launch its services in New York City.
- Waymo's expansion plan in New York City could potentially extend its service area into the finance and transportation sectors of the city, thus adding to the existing autonomous ride-hailing services it provides in the automotive industry.
- The technology sector, particularly in the realm of self-driving vehicles, is expected to undergo significant changes with Waymo's proposed entry into the New York City market, potentially impacting the larger finance industry as well due to the increased demand for ride-hailing services.
