Waymo Plans To Bring Self-Driving Vehicle Service To Los Angeles
Autonomous vehicle company Waymo announced on Wednesday that it plans to operate its next fleet of self-driving vehicles in Los Angeles.
The announcement comes after the company was able to successfully operate its self-driving vehicle services in both Phoenix and San Francisco. Waymo didn't give an exact date for the service to become available in LA, but said it would start "over the coming months."
"When we think about our next cities, Los Angeles jumps out. LA is a remarkable, vibrant place – and Waymo's experience leaves us best positioned to tackle its driving complexity," Waymo's co-CEO Tekedra Mawakana said in a release.
"We're working closely with Angelenos to ensure we're addressing the transportation needs and priorities of their communities as we bring the Waymo Driver to LA," she added.
Vehicles with Waymo are able to operate without a driver with the use of several hyper-sensitive motion cameras surrounding the entire car.
Holly J. Mitchell, Chair of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors and Director of the LA Metro Board highlighted in the release that Los Angeles has "unique transportation challenges" due to traffic issues and the ability to offer reliable transit.
"We need technology partners who are willing to sit down with our communities and explore how their products might help us solve our transportation challenges, rather than create more," Mitchell said.
Waymo has been testing vehicles since 2018 and was permitted to officially operate in California in September 2021. The service officially rolled out in San Francisco in March and in Phoenix in May.
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