Waymo's autonomous vehicles could soon be navigating the roads of San Francisco International Airport, as Mayor Daniel Lurie has given the company approval to begin mapping the area. According to the City and County of San Francisco, the airport has struck a deal with Waymo for a temporary access agreement, which went into effect last Friday and will last until April 13, with an option for the airport to extend it.
After the city recently hosted big-name events like the JP Morgan Healthcare Conference, the Lunar New Year Parade, and All-Star Weekend, this development is seen as a continuation of San Francisco's push to bolster its economic resurgence and draw in global tourism. The airport is a critical juncture in this strategy, offering an improved transit experience for visitors and natives alike. The permit has a stipulation, it requires that each of Waymo's two mapping vehicles to have a human driver behind the wheel at all times and they're not to carry any public passengers during this process.
"My administration is bringing everyone to the table to get things done and deliver real results for San Franciscans," Mayor Lurie stated, as per the City and County of San Francisco, indicating the effort to offer more access options for airport transportation. Nicole Gavel, head of business development and strategic partnerships at Waymo, said, "This mapping permit is an important step toward bringing our service to the millions of people who travel to and from the city every year," underscoring the importance of integrating at SFO, a top service expansion request from customers.
Local labor leaders have also weighed in on the move, with Teamsters Western Region vice president Peter Finn saying, as cited by the City and County of San Francisco, "We would like to thank Mayor Lurie for his leadership in bringing the parties together and SFO Director Mike Nakornkhet for creating a template for the responsible implementation of new technology that takes into account the impact on safety, jobs, and the community," signifying the broader socio-economic considerations inherent in embracing autonomous vehicle technology, meanwhile Airport Director Mike Nakornkhet voiced that customer safety remains the highest concern and that this permit serves as a vital stage in evaluating this burgeoning mode of transport.
