In a move that marks a significant step in autonomous vehicle deployment in San Francisco, Waymo announced the start of testing its driverless cars on city freeways, as reported by KRON4. Waymo's autonomous vehicles, already traversing city streets, have begun freeway testing with employees – coined "Waymonauts" – serving as passengers to provide feedback on the service and rider experience.

These tests follow the approval given in March by California regulators to charge for autonomous rides on the freeway. As TechCrunch detailed, it appears to be a precursor to a wider commercial rollout. The autonomous rides, occurring outside of rush hour, spearhead Waymo's expansion efforts after significant investment from Alphabet Inc. and will initially involve "less than a handful" of vehicles.

Focused on gradual implementation and safety, Waymo insists on rigorous testing and gathering ample data before extending its robotaxi services to the general public. This comes after the company made robotaxis available to everyone in San Francisco in June, prior to which, access was limited to users on a waitlist. "A once-unbelievable idea — that a vehicle with no driver behind the wheel could get you from A to B in your daily life — is quickly becoming a reality," Waymo co-CEOs Dmitri Dolgov and Tekedra Mawakana wrote on the company's blog via KRON4, signaling a broader vision for the future of transport.

Waymo's pursuit of expanded operations, which included stewarding rides to 55 square miles within the Bay Area, has caught the local community's interest. Bursting out onto the San Francisco freeways with driverless rides for Waymo's employees starting today, the tests are expected to cut travel time significantly. For instance, a run from the city's southwest corner to Oracle Park could take half as long when routed via Interstate 280 rather than city streets, Waymo remarked on X.

After successful testing of our autonomous vehicles on Phoenix freeways, we're expanding our operations. Starting today, our employees will also have access to fully autonomous rides on San Francisco freeways. pic.twitter.com/DzGdEgkm1U

— Waymo (@Waymo) August 12, 2024

Moreover, reaching the skies, Waymo is also working to increase access to pickups and dropoffs at San Francisco International Airport. This development may soon offer an alternative to conventional airport shuttles and rideshares, providing yet another layer to the evolving tapestry of urban mobility in San Francisco.