San Francisco Approves Waymo Pilot at SFO for Autonomous Airport Rides
- Waymo received a permit to begin autonomous vehicle operations at San Francisco International Airport.
- The phased pilot will lead to commercial service between the airport and the city.
Waymo has received a Testing and Operations Pilot Permit to start using autonomous vehicles at San Francisco International Airport (SFO). City leaders say the effort is aimed at improving transportation access for travelers and helping support the city's economic recovery.
“Across San Francisco, we are expanding safe, reliable, and modern transportation options—supporting our city’s economic comeback, boosting our tourism industry, and connecting residents and visitors to everything our city has to offer,” said Mayor Lurie in an official news release. “We announced in March that we wanted visitors to be able to ride in a Waymo as soon as they arrived in San Francisco, and today, we are taking another important step to get there.”
The pilot will roll out in three phases. In the first phase, supervised testing will occur with a trained driver. The second phase moves to fully autonomous testing with Waymo and airport staff as passengers. Finally, the third stage would see commercial service for paying customers. The permit includes safety protocols and reporting requirements as part of the agreement.
This builds on earlier steps, including a digital mapping initiative authorized in March. More recently, the city expanded autonomous and high-end ride services on Market Street in San Francisco as part of a wider plan to revitalize the downtown area.
🌀 Tom’s Take:
San Francisco is betting that robotaxis can play a real role in its economic recovery. Giving Waymo access to the airport connects autonomous rides to how people actually enter and move through the city.
Source: SF.gov
