Legislation Proposal to Introduce Robotaxi Services in New York

Governor Hochul Champions Self-Driving Car Initiatives Across the State

Alphabet's autonomous driving arm, Waymo, conducted tests with its self-driving vehicles in New York City in 2025. Now, with the endorsement of New York's Governor Kathy Hochul via proposed new legislation, the deployment of these services might soon extend throughout the state.

During a State of the State address, Governor Hochul introduced this legislative measure as part of her policy plans for the next year. Should it be enacted, the law would relax existing constraints on autonomous vehicle operations by implementing a pilot program for cautiously introducing commercial self-driving passenger services beyond the boundaries of New York City. Interested parties in this program must show they have local backing for autonomous vehicle operations and adhere to superior safety benchmarks as prerequisites.

With a promising chance of getting approval, Waymo is enthusiastically in favor of this legislative move. In a public statement, Justin Kintz, Waymo's Head of Global Public Policy, emphasized the transformative potential of legalizing fully autonomous vehicles under Governor Hochul's vision. He noted that the progression would align New York's commitments to improved speed regulation, stricter traffic control, and innovative congestion management tactics with Waymo’s proven safe technology, ushering in an era of heightened safety and accessibility for New Yorkers.

Waymo is already operational in several U.S. cities, offering its commercial robotaxi services in states like California, Texas, and Georgia—sometimes in collaboration with Uber. In recent announcements, the company shared its intentions to broaden operations in Texas and Florida, with additional commitments to launch services in Las Vegas, San Diego, and Detroit by 2026. Reports indicate that Waymo invested over $370,000 in lobbying New York regulators concerning communication and transportation topics in 2025. Today’s announcement signals that these lobbying activities may be yielding positive results.