Waymo, the robotaxi company, will soon start hitting the streets in several new cities throughout the country as part of a test run with Philadelphia being one of them, writes Erin McCarthy for The Philadelphia Inquirer.
While the autonomous cars will soon be seen downtown and on highways throughout the city, they will not yet be available for rides.
According to Waymo spokesperson Sandy Karp, Waymo specialists will be driving throughout the city with the goal of first getting to know the city.
“Folks will see our vehicles driving at all hours throughout various neighborhoods, from North Central to Eastwick, and from University City to as far east as the Delaware River,” said Karp.
With the continued uncertainty surrounding the future of SEPTA, and others about the reliability of Uber, Waymo’s arrival to Philadelphia could be a critical alternative for ride seekers in the future.
However, there is no confirmation as to whether the testing will lead to a full launch in Philadelphia.
Waymo currently provides more than 250,000 autonomous paid trips nationwide each week.
Waymo will be test-driving with manual drivers in New York this month, and is also set to become available in Miami and Washington, D.C., next year.
Read more about the the arrival of Waymo to Philly and what it could mean in The Philadelphia Inquirer.
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