Boston already has to deal with driving Massholes, now we also have the pleasure of dealing with self-driving Massholes.
In all seriousness, self-driving cars are en route to Boston, bringing their driverless carshare technology to our ancient streets. The company behind the technology, Waymo, offers self-driving carshare services in Austin, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and San Francisco. They’ve since begun mapping Boston streets this month to introduce Waymo’s service in Boston soon. A few Waymo’s have been spotted traveling Zakim, and other roads and bridges of the city.
Bostonians have mixed impressions of the driverless rides. Waymo virgins are both excited and horrified by the news, while those who’ve experience Waymo when visiting one of their operating cities seem to champion the tech expanding east.
Since the news broke a few days ago, users took to social media and Reddit threads to voice their concerns or enthusiasm:
One user wrote: “waiting to see how they handle potholes.”
Another wrote, “Boston based, been in the industry since 2018 (never at Waymo). I’ve said for a long time that Boston won’t get AVs til 2030 because it’s impossible to drive here without breaking laws every 10 minutes, and AVs are held to a higher standard than humans.”
One Waymo rider said, “Waymo rides are well-run, and even if it’s a little dystopian to say, it’s nice getting in a car with your friends/family and just continuing the vibe, not awkwardly sitting in a stranger’s car. Boston and especially the tech scene in Cambridge will love these.”
About Waymo
Waymo is a subsidiary of Google, formerly known as the Google Self-Driving Car Project which launched in 2009. It is an autonomous vehicle company based in Mountain View, California that currently operates its driverless cars in four major U.S. cities. Waymo utilizes AI and machine learning to map streets which guide the car’s driving routes. Waymo’s mission is to “be the world’s most trusted driver.”
An exact launch date for Waymo rides in Boston is yet to be announced, but the team is currently working on the ground in the city.