The self-driving robotic rideshare service popularized in the Bay Area has made its way to Sacramento.

Waymo posted a press release on its website on Feb. 5 saying the expansion is a part of the “Vision Zero” goals Sacramento has been pushing, which says traffic accidents are preventable through better safety regulations, according to the City of Sacramento transportation website.

In the release, Sacramento Mayor Kevin McCarty said one of his concerns was to make sure the city has reliable and safe transportation.

“We’re excited to work with Waymo to expand mobility options that are designed with safety at their core,” McCarty said in Waymo’s recent press release. “By offering new ways to move around the Capital City, we’re providing our residents with more choice while staying focused on our goal of making every street safer for everyone.”

Waymo is set to expand to Sacramento County cities including Elk Grove, Citrus Heights, Folsom, Galt, Rancho Cordova, Sacramento and Isleton, according to the DMV website.

Students and staff at Cosumnes River College expressed different opinions on Waymo’s expansion.

Campus police officer Fidel Adea said that having been around the rideshare service when he lived and served in San Francisco, it might be a good thing to help eliminate distracted driving.

“Based on what I’ve seen and what I’ve read about, they’re pretty accurate as far as like if there’s a car that gets close, it stops and if there’s a pedestrian crossing, it stops,” Adea said.

Adea also said that when he worked in the Bay Area, he didn’t come across any problems.

“I was a police officer in San Francisco, too, and we never really had any issues with Waymo cars. They’re pretty on point with how smart the AI is,” Adea said.

Aeint Myet Cheo, a 19-year-old mechanical engineering major, said she lived in San Francisco, saw them all the time and has ridden in a Waymo before. Cheo said she agrees with the safety of not having a driver.

“As someone who drives a car, I feel more secure when it’s driverless because you don’t need to watch out for anything and it has more reliable decisions,” Cheo said.

Cheo said she would recommend trying it at least once, but they cost more than a regular rideshare.

“It is more expensive than normal ones, so that is the only downside to it,” Cheo said.

Paying for a Waymo can cost 12-27% more than a ride with Lyft or Uber, according to a data release on Newswire citing information gathered by Obi, the AI-powered rideshare data report program.

Amare’ Williams, a 19-year-old kinesiology major, expressed the same cost concerns.

“I would assume it would be more expensive, right?” Williams said. “An Uber is already expensive, and I used to take Ubers, so I know I’m not going to use it.”

He said due to these high prices, he doesn’t think it will be as popular in Sacramento.

“I don’t see it being that big, and people that do have money like that probably have a car,” Williams said.

Malic Xiong, an 18-year-old business major, said he first saw it on TikTok and found the concept of not having a driver cool but scary.

“It is kind of half-and-half because it is risky because what happens if it loses control? That person can’t do anything about it,” Xiong said. “But it is also pretty cool, you know? AI is kind of taking over. Not just driving, but like school and work and anywhere.”

Ryan Lu, an 18-year-old computer science major, said he doesn’t see himself riding in one.

“I got my parents and I can drive by myself, so I don’t need a car that can drive itself,” Lu said.

Xiong said he is not surprised that something this advanced is coming to the city.

“Sacramento is getting bigger now and popular, so it makes sense that we have that kind of technology coming here,” he said.

Waymo is sending out vehicles to gather data on the city’s “unique dynamics” and is not yet ready for the public as of yet, according to Waymo’s press release. For more updates on when rides will be available, you can visit the Waymo website here.