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New Yorkers are about to meet a new kind of traffic jam companion: the robotaxi. Beginning in September, Waymo, the Alphabet-owned autonomous vehicle company, will put its self-driving cars on the streets of Manhattan and Downtown Brooklyn.
Before you panic about an empty driver’s seat whizzing down Flatbush, rest assured: State law requires a trained specialist behind the wheel at all times. So yes, there will still be a human gripping the steering wheel while the car quietly does most of the thinking.
The New York City Department of Transportation issued Waymo its first-ever permit to begin testing, calling it a cautious but important step into the future. For now, just eight vehicles will roll out, but if all goes well, that number could grow. The program runs through late September, with the chance of extension if city officials and Waymo deem the experiment safe enough.
Mayor Eric Adams, never one to shy away from a flashy tech debut, framed the pilot as a win for progress: “New York City is proud to welcome Waymo to test this new technology in Manhattan and Brooklyn, as we know this testing is only the first step in moving our city further into the 21st century.” In his words, the city wants to be on the map for innovation, not just pastrami sandwiches and Broadway marquees.
Waymo, for its part, is already racking up miles across the country. The company has logged more than 10 million rides in five U.S. cities and has recently expanded operations to San Francisco and Austin, with plans for Atlanta, Miami and D.C. Now, the company is taking on the most complicated and chaotic proving ground of all: New York.
If you’ve ever tried to cross Canal Street at rush hour, you know this city is not for the faint of heart—or the faint of algorithm. The streets teem with jaywalkers, delivery cyclists, honking cabs, double-parked trucks and the occasional parade. If a self-driving car can survive here, it might just survive anywhere.
Still, don’t expect to hail one of these cars anytime soon. For-hire autonomous rides are still prohibited under Taxi and Limousine Commission rules. For now, the cars are just here to practice—and maybe to see how long it takes before a pedestrian yells, “Hey robot, you got a problem?”