Dallas' robotaxi waiting room is officially closed. Yesterday, Waymo opened its fully autonomous ride-hailing service to all riders within the company's Dallas service area, turning a limited rollout into a public-facing transportation option for residents and visitors. The catch is that the map still matters: airport and freeway trips remain off the menu.
Anyone can now download the Waymo app and request a driverless ride on eligible local streets, according to FOX 4 Dallas-Fort Worth. Waymo said nearly 150,000 people rode in its vehicles during the invitation-only phase, giving the company a sizable test run before removing the gate.
The Dallas operation began February 24 alongside launches in Houston, San Antonio and Orlando. In its launch announcement, Waymo said riders would be invited in waves while it scaled up, with the eventual goal of opening service to everyone later in the year.
Dallas Love Field And Freeways Still Have To Wait
For now, the service is limited to local city streets inside Waymo's Dallas coverage area. FOX 4 reported that Waymo is still testing fully autonomous operations at Dallas Love Field and has not set an exact public airport launch date. The company also plans to test on Dallas-area freeways, describing that work as the final step before public rides on those routes.
That means a visitor may be able to summon a Waymo after arriving in Dallas, but not necessarily take one from the airport or use it for a freeway-heavy cross-town trip. The driverless future has arrived, but it is still operating with a fairly strict neighborhood map.
A Wider Rollout After A Rocky Texas Spring
The broader opening also comes after Waymo paused Dallas service in May over severe-weather concerns. KERA News reported that the company cited flash flooding in Texas and said it was working on improvements, making the move to all riders a notable test of whether the service can scale while handling Texas weather.
For Dallas riders, the immediate change is simple: no invite code, no waiting for an email and no wondering whether the app will finally let them in. They still need to stay inside Waymo's mapped service area, but the line to get there is gone.
