Get ready to see self-driving vehicles cruising across Minneapolis.

Waymo, owned by Google parent company Alphabet, says "a mixed fleet of our Jaguar I-PACE and Zeekr RT vehicles" will hit the streets starting Thursday morning in its efforts to "lay the early groundwork" for full service in Minnesota's largest city.

"To prepare for Minneapolis' winter weather, we've made great strides in our efforts to operate in heavier snow — including testing in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, California's Sierra Nevada, and Upstate New York," Waymo said in a statement.

Waymo technical program manager Jake Tretter said the company is "really excited about Minneapolis because it brings dense urban environment coupled with snow and very cold temperatures."

State lawmakers and safe-driving advocates are hailing the company's arrival, including the bipartisan co-chairs of the Minnesota House Transportation Finance and Policy Committee.

"Autonomous vehicles are going to be a huge part of the future of transportation," said Republican Rep. Jon Koznick. "There's broad support for this, we just need to figure out a lot of the details and make sure that we do it safely."

"We are committed to ensuring autonomous deployment like Waymo's is done responsibly, leveraging this innovation to improve connectivity, reduce congestion, and secure Minnesota's place as a national leader in the future of mobility," said Democratic Rep. Erin Koegel.

Lauren Johnson, regional executive director of the Minnesota chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving, says Waymo's arrival will also help cut down on the number of impaired drivers on Minneapolis streets.

"MADD has been a long-time partner with Waymo, and we are proud of our shared commitment to protect drivers, passengers, pedestrians, and the community," Johnson said.  

Some Twin Cities residents are more muted in their response, though.

"Personally, I'm not hopping at the opportunity to get in one," Jacie Scott of Minneapolis said. "I kind of want to see how it goes, I know there's safety measures, there's thought behind it."

"Would I get in one?" Jamie Jolbo of Vadnais Heights said. "No, probably not."

Others are thrilled about the company's arrival.

"I would totally do it," Alejandra Pena of Minneapolis said. "Sometimes it's a lot more convenient."

"Very excited," Tasheena Prince said. "I will be getting one."

Is Waymo really ready for prime time?

While Waymo — whose driverless taxi fleets first hit the streets of Phoenix in 2020 — positions itself as a transportation panacea, the company has been criticized for risky road testing of its fleets in real traffic.

In an incident earlier this year near Atlanta, a Waymo vehicle failed to yield for a school bus that had its red lights activated. And in an incident in San Francisco, a police officer spotted a Waymo vehicle making an illegal U-turn, leading to a very confusing traffic stop.

The company also recalled more that 1,200 of its vehicles in May due to software issues to led cars to crash into chains, gates and other roadway barriers.  

The company argues that its own safety data shows 91% fewer serious injury crashes, and 92% fewer crashes injuring a pedestrian, compared to a human driver.  

Robert Sumwalt, a former chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board, told CBS MoneyWatch last year that self-driving vehicles are "not a perfect science yet."

"Right now it's like trying to send a rocket to the moon in 1910 when the Wright Brothers were still working on their planes," said Sumwalt, who is currently CBS News' transportation safety analyst.

Earlier this month, Sumwalt warned Waymo and other autonomous vehicle companies "need to be held to a higher standard."

"Before we have widespread use of self-driving vehicles, we've got to make sure that they are implemented properly," he said.

In a statement to WCCO, the Minnesota Department of Transportation said state law "neither prohibits nor specifically authorizes automated vehicles to conduct testing on streets in Minnesota."