"People have really appreciated Waymo's expansion onto the freeways, because they can get where they're going more quickly if it's a longer distance. When we started, we were the first airport to have autonomous service in the world, which is a point of pride for Phoenix. We originally started pickups at our Sky Train, and now we've moved to the curb."
"We tried to be very safety-focused and make sure we tested and piloted before we did full deployment. It's a point of pride for us that we were the first in the world to have autonomous vehicle service at the airport. We think it really shows we're a technology-forward city and that we're willing to embrace innovation."
Phoenix emerged as the primary U.S. laboratory for autonomous vehicles when Waymo launched fully driverless rides to the public in 2020. The service expanded from initial operations to include freeway travel and airport service at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, making Phoenix the first city worldwide to offer autonomous vehicle service at an airport. The city's wide roads and simple grid structure provided an ideal testing environment. Waymo subsequently expanded to San Francisco and Austin, while competitors like Tesla and Zoox developed their own autonomous fleets. Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego emphasized the city's safety-focused approach, prioritizing testing and piloting before full deployment. The expansion onto freeways improved transportation efficiency for longer distances, and the airport service became a point of pride demonstrating Phoenix's technology-forward positioning.
#autonomous-vehicles #robotaxi-deployment #urban-transportation #phoenix-technology #driverless-innovation
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