Overview
- Freeway routing is launching on a phased basis for early-access or opt-in riders, with broader availability to follow as performance data is collected.
- Waymo expanded its Bay Area coverage to San Jose, creating roughly 260 square miles of contiguous service with 24/7 curbside pickup and drop-off at San Jose Mineta International Airport.
- The company says its vehicles will generally adhere to posted freeway speed limits, with rare, safety-driven exceptions where the car may briefly exceed the limit by a few mph.
- Highway operations include new safety protocols and system redundancies such as dual onboard computers that switch to a backup and guide the vehicle to the nearest exit if a failure occurs.
- Waymo describes this as a U.S. first for fully autonomous, paid freeway rides without a safety driver, as regulators continue oversight following prior incidents and investigations.