Regulators block Waymo’s application to expand California robotaxi operations

Waymo’s application to expand its robotaxi service in Los Angeles and San Mateo counties has been suspended for 120 days by the California Public Utilities Commission’s Consumer Protection and Enforcement Division (CPED).

This decision does not change Waymo’s ability to commercially operate driverless vehicles in San Francisco. However, it has put an abrupt halt to the company’s aspirations to expand where it can operate – at least until June 2024.

CPED said on its website That the application has been suspended pending further staff review. According to Waymo, the “suspension” of the advisory letter is a procedural part of the CPUC’s standard and robust review process.

However, San Mateo County Board of Supervisors Vice Chairman David J. Canepa took a different approach.

“As Waymo has blocked any meaningful discussion over its expansion plans in Silicon Valley, the CPUC has put the brakes on its application to test robotaxi service in both San Mateo and Los Angeles counties,” Canepa said. ” “This will provide an opportunity for autonomous vehicle manufacturers to fully engage on our real public safety concerns, which have caused all kinds of dangerous situations for firefighters and police in neighboring San Francisco.”

Waymo noted that it has reached out to two dozen government and business organizations as part of its outreach effort, including San Mateo County cities such as Burlingame, Daly City and Foster City, the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office and the local Chamber of Commerce. Officials are included. ,

Waymo operates a commercial service 24 hours a day, seven days a week throughout San Francisco. Waymo is also allowed to offer free driverless rides to people in parts of Los Angeles. The company started Robotaxi ride test with employees in Santa Monica around March 2023 and has since opened to some members of the public, but has still not been able to charge for those rides.

The company filed a document with the commission’s Consumer Protection and Enforcement Division in January, seeking review and approval of its updated security plan and the expansion of its “operational design domain (ODD), which is an industry term that refers to Meaning where its driverless vehicles can operate. Waymo is seeking approval to expand operations into parts of the Los Angeles area and additional areas of the San Francisco Peninsula, namely San Mateo County. This expansion is particularly important because it will include access to San Francisco International Airport.

The California Department of Motor Vehicles, which also regulates the testing and deployment of autonomous vehicles, approved the expanded ODD in January. The City of South San Francisco, the Los Angeles County Department of Transportation, the San Francisco County Transportation Authority, the San Mateo County Office of the County Attorney, and the San Francisco Taxi Workers Alliance have sent letters opposing the expansion.