Waymo Urges Massachusetts To Legalize Driverless Cars

Waymo, the self-driving robotaxi company, said it is returning to Boston one year after a tour of the city to learn its streets.

Now, the Silicon Valley ride-hailing service is urging Massachusetts lawmakers to legalize fully autonomous vehicles before Boston residents can hop a ride.

A CBS Boston (WBZ-TV) report noted that Waymo has not officially applied to operate its autonomous vehicles on Massachusetts roads, according to MassDOT. "The first step for any company seeking to operate autonomous vehicles on public roads in Massachusetts would be to complete the 'Application to Test' with MassDOT," the agency said in a statement. "At present, Waymo has not done so."  

According to a company statement, Waymo said it is committed to a "constructive dialogue with Boston's communities." 

State Rep. Dan Cahill, chair of the Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security, noted that he supports ongoing efforts to establish a clear regulatory framework that prioritizes safety for new vehicle technology on Massachusetts roads.

Some city leaders, however, weren't convinced even when Waymo tested its vehicles in Boston with humans behind the wheel last year.

"Driving here is not like driving in the rest of the country," Chief of Streets Jascha Franklin-Hodge said in a statement to CBS Boston. "Our streets are complex. They're congested; they're chaotic."  

During a hearing last summer, City Councilor Ed Flynn expressed concerns about Waymo's handling of double-parking and delivery drivers who dominate space on Boston streets. "There is also nonstop road construction during the summer, street closings as well," Flynn continued. "And, in winter, we have snow banks."

Waymo has pointed to its winter-weather testing "across some of the snowiest cities in the country to support fully autonomous operations in a wide range of winter weather, so Massachusetts residents and visitors can have an even more dependable way to get around."