Waymo riders can now take robotaxis beyond San Francisco as the company expands its service just outside the city limits.
The Alphabet-owned company is adding 10 square miles to its service area, covering Daly City, Broadmoor and Colma.
That means a Waymo ride from San Francisco to get your martini fix at Original Joe’s Westlake is finally a possibility. However, users hoping for a ride down to San Francisco International Airport will have to keep waiting.
In June, Waymo killed its waitlist, allowing anyone to download the app and request a ride. That move corresponded with additional testing on local freeways that has led to hiccups.
The new expansion is only a sliver of the wider service area regulators approved in March — extending south to Sunnyvale — but marks the first time riders can leave San Francisco in the company’s self-driving cars.
Officials said safe performance in nearby cities is a prerequisite for approval to map and eventually transport passengers to and from SFO.
Waymo said it has surpassed 2 million paid trips and is conducting more than 50,000 rides weekly across its three commercial markets of San Francisco, Los Angeles and Phoenix.
As part of its growth efforts, the company is adding 16 square miles to its commercial service area in Los Angeles, including Marina del Rey, Mar Vista, Playa Vista, Chinatown and Westwood.