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Like a self-driving car Services from Alphabet WaymoAmazon Zooxand Tesla It expanded slowly and quietly across the United States, and one large and important state remained mostly silent: New York.
The fourth-most populous state in the union has some of the strictest laws governing self-driving vehicles, requiring companies approved to conduct testing in the state only to do so with a driver behind the wheel. There is no current path for companies to operate this type of trading bot service like the type seen in San Francisco or Las Vegas.
But this may be about to change. on Tuesday, as part of its annual gala Country addressGov. Kathy Hochul will announce she is proposing legislation that would expand New York’s current regulations to allow companies to operate limited commercial self-driving car services in cities across the state, her office confirmed Monday. Robotics pilot programs will only be approved if companies submit applications that “demonstrate local support” for deploying their technology, as well as strong safety records. The program will exclude New York City.
“This program will make our roads safer and improve mobility options for communities outside of New York City,” Governor Hochul said in a statement. She said state agencies “will work to ensure that these pilots are conducted to the highest safety standards.”
If passed, the legislation would leave one thing unclear: How developers of self-driving technology can jump from providing limited services in New York cities to running large-scale commercial operations, like the kind Waymo runs in the San Francisco Bay Area. More information on how commercial bot services will be fully launched in the state will come “in the future,” Hochul’s office said.
New York City – the largest city in the country – runs its own district Autonomous vehicle testing permit program But it does not have a track that allows vehicles to operate without drivers on its crowded streets. Waymo has a permit to test eight vehicles in parts of Manhattan and Brooklyn; This permit will expire at the end of March. The eight vehicles are also not allowed to operate without a safe driver at the wheel, or to transport passengers.
If passed, Hochul’s legislation would represent a major victory for self-driving car developers, who have viewed large, urban states including Illinois, Massachusetts, Washington and New York as the most attractive targets for legislation allowing commercial robot services to operate. Other states, including California, Texas and Arizona, have specific laws that clearly spell out how technology companies can move from testing to limited pilot programs to full commercial services.
State records They show Waymo spent more than $370,000 lobbying New York state officials and lawmakers on transportation and communications issues last year. The company currently operates driverless services in five cities — Phoenix, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Austin, and Atlanta — and plans to launch services in dozens more. Including Londonthis year.