Waymo is broadening its footprint in Los Angeles County, offering residents of additional neighborhoods the opportunity to experience its autonomous ride-hailing service. Covering locales such as Playa del Rey, Ladera Heights, Echo Park, Silver Lake, and the entire length of Sunset Boulevard, this move represents the second significant expansion for the Alphabet-owned company in the ever-evolving landscape of urban mobility.
According to a report by NBC Los Angeles, starting Wednesday, riders will be able to hail a Waymo from Mid-City to Inglewood and Westchester through direct routes utilizing La Cienega and La Brea. The autonomous taxi service now stretches across over 120 square miles of Los Angeles County, striving to meet the evident demand and trust in their self-driving capabilities. "We're very proud of this progress -- we're the first (autonomous vehicle) service operating at real scale and we continue to see growing demand and trust in our services," a Waymo statement detailed.
Despite the planned expansion, Waymo faced a setback when its vehicles were recently vandalized and set ablaze during anti-immigration enforcement protests. The company suspended operations briefly in downtown Los Angeles in response. "We do not believe our vehicles were intentionally targeted, but rather happened to be present during the protests," a spokesperson expressed in an email to CBS Moneywatch. The unsettling incident prompted an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, alongside local law enforcement.
Amid growing pains, such as the recent protests and a petition by Santa Monica residents over noise from charging stations, Waymo nevertheless touts a strong safety record, claiming their driverless rides lead to ample fewer crashes resulting in serious injuries compared to the average human driver, FOX 11 reports. This expansion into new neighborhoods occurs concurrently with an area growth in the San Francisco Bay Area and Silicon Valley, illustrating Waymo's continued commitment to carving out its presence in the Golden State's transportation fabric.
