Bill opens door to robotaxi services in New York

Waymo, Alphabet’s self-driving car company, tested its autonomous vehicles in New York in 2025, and under the bill proposed by New York State Governor Kathy Hochul, the company could soon offer its services throughout the state, Wired reports.

The legislation proposed by Governor Hochul was officially announced during a State of the State address covering policy proposals for the coming year. The new law, if passed, would ease state restrictions on self-driving car makers by creating a pilot program that would allow “the limited deployment of self-driving commercial vehicles for hire outside of New York City.” Applicants for the pilot program will need to demonstrate that they have “local support for [autonomous vehicle] deployment” and demonstrate their “adherence to the highest possible security standards” to be considered.

As a company with a likely good chance of being approved, Waymo supports the legislation. “Governor Hochul’s proposal to legalize fully autonomous vehicles is a transformative moment for New York’s transportation system,” Justin Kintz, Waymo’s head of global public policy, said in a statement. “Under the Governor’s leadership, New York has the opportunity to combine its investments in slower speeds, better traffic enforcement and nation-first congestion management strategies with Waymo’s demonstrably safe technology, creating a future where living in New York is safer, easier and more accessible.”

Waymo already offers commercial robotaxi services in select cities in California, Texas and Georgia, offered alone or in partnership with Uber. The company announced plans to expand into Texas and Florida at the end of last year, and it’s already committed to offer service to Las Vegas, San Diego and Detroit in 2026. Wired reports that Waymo has spent more than $370,000 lobbying New York regulators on telecommunications and transportation issues in 2025, and based on today’s announcement, it appears those efforts are paying off.