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 to Begin Autonomous Rides on Phoenix Freeways
The company’s autonomous cars will start testing freeway rides with employees as passengers.
Waymo Expansion Makes Phoenix ‘World’s Largest Self-Driving Car Zone’
The company’s autonomous taxis will soon be available in most parts of the metro area including Tempe, Mesa, and a new airport pick-up location.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
San Francisco's School District Spent $105M To Build Affordable Housing for Teachers — And That's Just the Beginning
SFUSD joins a growing list of school districts using their land holdings to address housing affordability challenges faced by their own employees.
The Tiny, Adorable $7,000 Car Turning Japan Onto EVs
The single seat Mibot charges from a regular plug as quickly as an iPad, and is about half the price of an average EV.
With Protected Lanes, 460% More People Commute by Bike
For those needing more ammo, more data proving what we already knew is here.
In More Metros Than You’d Think, Suburbs are Now More Expensive Than the City
If you're moving to the burbs to save on square footage, data shows you should think again.
The States Losing Rural Delivery Rooms at an Alarming Pace
In some states, as few as 9% of rural hospitals still deliver babies. As a result, rising pre-term births, no adequate pre-term care and "harrowing" close calls are a growing reality.
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.
Smith Gee Studio
City of Charlotte
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
US High Speed Rail Association
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)