New York Governor Kathy Hochul plans to introduce legislation that would effectively legalize robotaxis in the state, except for the most populous metropolis, New York City.
Hochul made the comments during his State of the State address Tuesday, saying the bill would advance the next phase of the state’s self-driving vehicle pilot program.
Details about the proposed bill and when it will be announced are unclear. But a document outlining a series of proposals and promises Hochul made in his State of the Union address contains some hints.
It also includes language that would expand the state’s existing AV pilot program and allow for “a limited deployment of commercial rental self-driving passenger vehicles outside of New York City.”
The document further states that companies wishing to operate a robotaxi service commercially will need to submit an application “demonstrating local support for AV deployment and compliance with the highest possible safety standards.”
It’s not clear what “limited deployment” or “the highest possible safety standards” mean. The document also does not outline how the state will track or determine a company’s safety record, other than involving multiple agencies, including the Department of Motor Vehicles, Department of Transportation and New York State Police.
The governor’s office told TechCrunch that more will be shared in the governor’s budget, which is expected to be released on January 20th.
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Still, the comment was enough to make Alphabet Inc.’s Waymo rejoice.
“Governor Hochul’s proposal to legalize fully self-driving cars is a transformative moment for New York’s transportation system,” Justin Kintz, Waymo’s head of global public policy, said in an emailed statement.
“With the Governor’s leadership, New York State has the opportunity to combine lower speeds, increased traffic enforcement, and investments in a first-in-the-nation congestion management strategy with clearly safer Waymo technology to create a future where living in New York is safer, easier, and more accessible. We are ready to work with leaders across the state to make this future a reality, bringing new infrastructure, career opportunities, and investment to the Empire State,” said Kintz.
Waymo and other companies have tried to enter New York state for years, with limited success. Current New York state law requires drivers to keep one hand on the steering wheel at all times. This poses a problem for robotaxi operators like Waymo, as there is no human at the wheel, even if there is one.
The state’s AV pilot program creates an exception to that rule, theoretically allowing companies to develop and test autonomous vehicles in the state.
Still, there are major hurdles, especially in New York City. Last August, city regulators granted Waymo permission to test robotaxis in densely populated cities. Under the permit, Waymo can deploy up to eight Jaguar I-Pace vehicles in downtown Manhattan and Brooklyn, manned by human safety operators. A Waymo spokesperson told TechCrunch that the permit has been extended until March 31st.
Even with the permit, Waymo cannot pick up passengers or operate a commercial robotaxi service unless it obtains a separate license from the city’s Taxi and Limousine Commission.
Additionally, a bill creating a framework for driverless cars was introduced last year, but consideration has been delayed in the state Senate Transportation Committee. The governor’s proposal could help alleviate that bottleneck.
