Waymo service expanded to San Jose, including first commercial airport service in California
Autonomous robotaxi company Waymo announced it has expanded to San Jose and is offering curbside service to San Jose Mineta International Airport, the first commercial airport in California to feature the driverless rides.
The announcement came on the same day Waymo said its robotaxis were now using freeways in the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles and Phoenix. The company is already offering service to Phoenix's Sky Harbor Airport and is in the process of testing service to San Francisco International Airport and Newark Liberty International Airport.
The company, owned by Google parent Alphabet, said the San Jose expansion links its robotaxi service across the entire San Francisco Peninsula, including the cities of San Bruno, San Mateo, San Carlos, Redwood City, Palo Alto, and Mountain View, where the company is based.
The initial San Jose service area will be Central San Jose, including Santana Row and Westfield Valley Fair, the Rosemary Gardens, Newhall, College Park and Cory neighborhoods, with plans to expand into downtown and other parts of the city. The move comes as San Jose, Silicon Valley, and the Bay Area are set to host a number of high-profile sporting events, including the Super Bowl in February and World Cup games in the summer.
"Whether you're taking a ten-minute ride from San Jose Mineta International Airport to Levi's Stadium or headed up 280 to San Francisco, there couldn't be a better moment for Waymo's autonomous vehicles to expand across the Bay Area," said San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan in a prepared statement. "With San José at the center of the biggest sporting events of 2026, we're helping deliver the most technologically advanced Super Bowl and World Cup experience ever. When travelers land at SJC next year, they won't just be arriving in California - they'll be stepping into the future of mobility and entertainment."
State Sen. Dave Cortese (D-San Jose), who authored Senate Bill 915, which would have given local jurisdictions more say in the oversight of autonomous vehicles in their communities, issued a statement Wednesday saying he shares the public's concerns over Waymo robotaxis on freeways, "especially when there is still no clear oversight, accountability, and public transparency."
"As policymakers, including the public, we are left in the dark about safety performance as these vehicles are often times being tested in real-time on our roads, alongside families and everyday commuters," Cortese said in an email to CBS News Bay Area. "The state must ensure that comprehensive data reporting, independent safety assessments, and strong regulatory oversight are in place before expending the Waymo's of the world to operate onto our freeways - some of the most dangerous and complex driving environments."
Cortese, chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee, pulled SB 915 from the legislative session in June 2024 after an Assembly committee added several amendments. He has vowed to reintroduce a similar measure in January.