Is this the "Kitty Hawk moment" driverless car companies have been seeking?
John Krafcik, CEO of Waymo One, announces the launch of a fully autonomous service ride-hailing service to the general public in Phoenix, Arizona.
Beginning today, October 8, we’re excited to open up our fully driverless offering to Waymo One riders. Members of the public service can now take friends and family along on their rides and share their experience with the world. We’ll start with those who are already a part of Waymo One and, over the next several weeks, welcome more people directly into the service through our app (available on Google Play and the App Store).
All Waymo One rides will be 100 percent driverless in the near term, according to Krafcik.
The announcement includes details of Waymo's process of getting to this benchmark achievement, or what Krafcik describes as its search for a "Kitty Hawk moment." The history of autonomous vehicle technology during the pandemic had previously been an up-and-down affair. The launch of Waymo One service to the public would seem, at least, to be a positive incremental step toward an autonomous future.
FULL STORY: Waymo is opening its fully driverless service to the general public in Phoenix
Year One of Waymo
Waymo, like Google a company of Alphabet Inc., has been offering self-driving ride-hailing service to the public for a year, providing 100,000 rides in the Phoenix area in the process.
Waymo Wants to Bring ‘Robot Taxis’ To L.A.
After launching pilot programs in San Francisco and Phoenix, the company says it is ready to begin deploying its autonomous vehicles on Los Angeles streets.
Still No Flying Cars: The Underwhelming Progress of Autonomous Vehicles
While we're still far from a Jetsons-style reality, understated autonomous features could be the key to safer transportation.
New York Governor Advances Housing Plan Amid Stiff Suburban Opposition
Governor Kathy Hochul’s ambitious proposal to create more housing has once again run into a brick wall of opposition in New York’s enormous suburbs, especially on Long Island. This year, however, the wall may have some cracks.
Rethinking the Role of Parking in the American City
In cities big and small, the tide is turning against sprawling parking lots, car-centric development, and minimum parking mandates.
Friday Eye Candy: 20 AI-Generated Cityscapes
AI-generated images are creating new landscapes and cityscapes, capable of inspiring awe or fear.
Biden Designates a New National Monument in West Texas
The Castner Range National Monument in West Texas is the second of two new national monuments announced by President Joe Biden this week.
Study: Autonomous Cars Won’t Solve the Parking Problem
In hyper-dense cities where incentives to reduce car use and eliminate parking are already high, mass adoption of AVs won’t significantly reduce parking demand.
Proposed Pool Would Make an Olympic-Sized Play Area in the San Francisco Bay
The San Francisco Bay is usually an undesirable place to swim, except for a hearty few. A development proposal seeking assistance at the state level would add a pool to the Bay’s waters to make the idea of going for a swim more appealing.
Princeton Planning
City of College Park
Houston-Galveston Area Council
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Spearfish
City of Lomita
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
