New York City Is Keeping Waymo Off Its Streets For Now - Here's Why

Waymo manufactures and manages a fleet of self-driving cars with the stated intention of making the road safer for everyone. However, some locales, such as New York City, would rather not have Waymo on their streets. This comes as no surprise when you consider all the trouble surrounding the company lately. Waymo had to recall almost 3,900 robotaxis after they repeatedly entered closed construction zones. There was also a recent incident in which driverless Wamyo taxis were bugging out in Atlanta.

The situation culminated in a legal battle between Waymo and the nation's most populous city. The New York Times reports that Waymo met opposition from labor groups and politicians in New York. Governor Kathy Hochul, who previously expressed interest in legalizing Waymo self-driving taxis across New York state, has since withdrawn her support in response to the political outcry.

While there are certainly safety concerns surrounding the use of AI-powered autonomous vehicles, it's clear that the core reason behind New York City's rejection of Waymo is to support local workers. New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani asserts that he will weigh the interests of taxi drivers when deciding on rules for self-driving vehicle technology. The current state of leadership and labor advocacy in New York means that the status quo with Waymo is unlikely to change any time soon.

Despite any incidents and controversies, Waymo still thinks it can make your streets safer. The company has a sizeable support base, too. In March 2026, Waymo announced (via X) that it was serving 500,000 paid rides per week. A 2025 poll by GrowSF suggested that two-thirds of San Francisco residents support autonomous vehicles like those produced by Waymo. These figures paint a very different picture than what's currently seen in New York.

Waymo's global head of public policy, Justin Kintz, seems to think it's only a matter of time before New Yorkers are swayed. Kintz explained (via the New York Times), "We want to meet people and governments where they are. And we know that some of them will take more time than others. But we're committed to our strategy. We're committed to earning trust." Those who oppose self-driving taxis in New York are currently celebrating a victory, but Waymo still has its sights on deploying its products to the streets of New York City.