**Robotaxis May Soon Hit the Streets of New York State – But Not NYC (Yet)**
In a major development for the future of transportation, New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced plans to advance the state’s autonomous vehicle pilot program, paving the way for robotaxis to operate commercially outside of New York City. As part of her State of the State address, Hochul outlined the next phase of the program, which would allow for the “restricted deployment of commercial for-hire autonomous passenger vehicles”.
While the details are thin on the ground, it sounds like companies wanting to operate robotaxis will need to prove they’ve got local support and a solid commitment to safety. But just how that will work in practice remains to be seen.
One thing that’s not yet clear is how the state will ensure these autonomous vehicles are operating at the “highest possible safety standards”. And what exactly does “restricted deployment” even mean? We’re going to have to wait for more details to get a better understanding of what this all means.
It’s also worth noting that existing regulations, like the requirement for a human driver to be behind the wheel of an autonomous vehicle, will still be in effect – at least for now. Waymo, which has been itching to enter the New York state market for years, is understandably excited about the prospect of running a commercial robotaxi service. In fact, they’re calling the proposal a “transformative moment” for New York’s transportation system.
Of course, there are still many hurdles to clear before robotaxis become a reality. Back in August, city regulators gave Waymo the green light to test its robotaxis in NYC, but only with a human safety operator on board – and only with a limited number of vehicles. And even that was a big deal, as it marked a major step towards making autonomous vehicles a reality in the city.
The real wild card is the legislation that’s currently stuck in the state Senate’s transportation committee. If Governor Hochul’s proposal can help unlock that, it could be a major game-changer.
