Waymo is asking D.C. residents to put pressure on their city officials

Waymo needs some Help, according to an email the self-driving developer sent to Washington, D.C., residents on Thursday.

More than a year ago, Waymo He was Pay city officials To pass new regulations that allow it robotaxis To work in the region. So far, self-driving cars can be tested in the city, with humans behind the wheel, but they do not operate in free-wheeling mode. the alphabet The subsidiary — and its lobbyists — have asked local lawmakers, including Mayor Muriel Bauer and City Council members, to create new rules that would allow the technology to drive driverless on public roads. The company previously said it would start offering driverless rides in the capital this year.

But Waymo’s efforts to influence officials have stalled, so the company is now asking residents to put some pressure on. “We are almost ready to provide public Waymo rides to everyone in DC,” says an email sent to those who signed up for Waymo’s DC service. “However, despite great support, the region’s leadership has not yet provided the necessary approvals for us to launch.”

The email directs recipients to contact D.C. officials via a form letter that says, in part: “Over the past year, I have observed Waymo vehicles operating throughout our local areas, and I am very excited about the potential benefits this service can provide, including improved accessibility and decreased traffic-related incidents.” The letter urges D.C. residents to edit the message to “use your own words,” because personal messaging “has more impact.” Only D.C. residents or those with D.C. addresses can participate, Waymo says.

In a written statement, Waymo spokesman Ethan Teicher said, “We will be ready to serve Washingtonians this year, and we urge the mayor, the region’s Department of Transportation, and the City Council to take action.” The company says 1,500 people contacted district leaders via its email in the first 90 minutes after the message was sent.

In general, self-driving vehicle developers have only launched the service in places where regulations clearly define how the technology will get on the roads. Other US cities have Waymo service, including those in ca, Floridaand TexasThese rules were already in place before the company entered its markets. But as Waymo’s ambitions grow, it’s starting to target cities in big blue states where self-driving vehicle technology doesn’t yet have a “driver’s license.” Earlier this month, the company said it would begin testing in Boston, where city lawmakers last year pushed for a law prohibiting self-driving taxis from operating without a human behind the wheel. Waymo He said It needs Massachusetts lawmakers to “legalize fully autonomous vehicles” before it can launch the service in Boston.

Ultimately, self-driving vehicle developers hope that the US Congress will pass a law that allows their technology to be tested and operated on a larger scale throughout the United States. A House committee on Tuesday advanced B invoice It would direct the federal government to create safety standards for self-driving vehicles, and prevent states from passing their own laws prohibiting the sale or use of the technology, or from requiring companies to provide information about accidents.

Waymo’s new DC lobbying campaign He repeats that Launched by companies disrupting transportation, including ride-hailing giant Uber and… Bird bike and scooter sharing companyfor nearly a decade. Like developers of self-driving technology, these companies wanted to launch their new services in places where the rules did not align with their commercial ambitions. Ultimately, Uber and Lyft were generally successful in passing laws in US states allowing their services to operate on public roads, and preventing cities from setting their own laws.

Today, Waymo operates in six U.S. metro areas — Atlanta, Austin, Los Angeles, Miami, Phoenix, and the San Francisco Bay Area — and plans to launch in more than 10 regions this year. Three other companies, including Nuru and Zoox is owned by Amazonhave permits to test self-driving technology in Washington, D.C.