Will self-driving taxis come to West Valley?

Self-driving cars could hit the West Valley’s small, suburban streets as one company tries to expand its footprint outside big cities.

Waymo submitted a letter to the California Public Utilities Commission last month seeking approval for its updated passenger safety plan — a move that could bring self-driving cars to Los Gatos, Cupertino and Campbell. The California Department of Motor Vehicles approved permits March 17, allowing the tech startup to test its autonomous cars without a safety driver across Santa Clara County.

The commission’s approval is one of the last steps before Waymo can cruise West Valley roads, but it’s unclear when state officials will vote on it. Waymo doesn’t need local approval to expand, just the state’s green light. The company, which became a fixture of San Francisco’s steep streets in 2022, provides thousands of rides every week.

Cupertino Councilmember R “Ray” Wang is surprised Waymo doesn’t need City Council approval, but said he’s all for it under the right circumstances. He’s ridden in a Waymo car and said it’s just like getting in an Uber or Lyft. He said Waymo could increase mobility in a city that already offers Silicon Valley Hopper, an affordable ride-share service where residents can hitch a ride for less than $5 citywide.

“Being able to get people into Waymo or Hopper might be more economically effective, and so it’s exciting to hear that this is happening,” Wang told San José Spotlight. “Hopefully there are some guardrails in place (just) in case something bad happens.”

A Waymo spokesperson said the company has no immediate expansion plans, but wants the cars to serve more Bay Area residents.

“Any expansion of the service will happen methodically over time, and as we grow, we’ll continue to work with local communities, officials and emergency responders every step of the way,” the spokesperson told San José Spotlight.

The company’s requests for state approval follow a failed bill state Sen. Dave Cortese introduced last year, which would’ve allowed local governments to create policies about self-driving cars after companies obtain state approval. Without that additional oversight, Waymo has already expanded to Sunnyvale and received support from San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan.

Campbell Mayor Sergio Lopez said while he’s never ridden in a Waymo, the cars could reduce traffic accidents in the city. The self-driving cars experience 81% fewer injury-causing crashes compared to an average human driver over similar distances in San Francisco and Phoenix, according to Waymo data.

“I’m in favor of anything that’s going to make our streets safer,” Lopez told San José Spotlight. “We’ve generally had concerns in a number of neighborhoods about traffic and safety measures, and so in that respect, I think it’s something that will be aligned (with Campbell’s needs).”

Los Gatos Mayor Matthew Hudes isn’t concerned about the potential expansion. He said it could help the town that only has one infrequent bus line.
Transit advocates are still undecided.

Eugene Bradley, founder of Silicon Valley Transit Users, said it’s not surprising Waymo is trying to enter the suburban scene to compete with other ride-share services. His biggest concern is how new the technology is, but the company could provide service public transportation misses.

“This is also possible warning to VTA to do more, to improve the public transit service in (the West Valley),” Bradley told San José Spotlight.

Contact Annalise Freimarck at [email protected] or follow @annalise_ellen on X.