Overview
- Governor Kathy Hochul proposed legislation to create a pilot allowing the limited deployment of commercial for-hire autonomous vehicles in New York State outside New York City.
- Applicants would need to show local backing and adherence to what the state describes as the highest possible safety standards to win approval.
- Waymo praised the plan and, according to state records, spent more than $370,000 lobbying New York officials on transportation and telecom issues last year.
- New York City remains excluded for now, where Waymo’s testing is limited to eight vehicles with human safety operators in parts of Manhattan and Downtown Brooklyn under a permit extended through March 31.
- Elected officials and driver and safety groups in the city voiced concerns about potential job losses and unresolved safety and accountability questions, while multiple agencies are slated to oversee any pilots once details are released.