“I feel like it’s not gonna be super good for the city, especially with construction going on right now.”
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Waymo’s plan to begin testing autonomous vehicles in Sacramento, Solano, and Yolo counties is drawing strong, mixed reactions from travelers and rideshare drivers who worry the expansion could upend their jobs.
Right now, anyone opening the Waymo app in Sacramento sees a message saying they’re outside the service area. However, that will change once testing begins in the three counties.
“It’s the future and it’s most likely something that’s going to be around much more,” traveler Yuri Volnov said. “So I think it’s good to get prepared for it and have them in the area.”
Waymo announced the expansion after receiving DMV approval to test self-driving cars in Northern and Southern California. Some travelers said they’re excited to try the vehicles.
“I know a lot of people who come to California, they’re like, ‘oh, we get to do this fun little situation where we get to be in a car that doesn’t have a driver,’” rideshare driver Brittany Arnold said.
But others said they’re skeptical.
“I feel like it’s not gonna be super good for the city, especially with construction going on right now,” Lucia Ortiz Calva said, adding that friends who have seen Waymo cars in Bay Area neighborhoods told her they create traffic, light pollution and sound pollution.
At Sacramento International Airport, travelers expressed both support and concern. Rideshare drivers, however, said they fear job losses.
Arnold said her experience driving in the Bay Area, where Waymo cars already operate, has been “kind of irritating” because she believes the vehicles take riders from drivers who rely on Lyft and Uber for income.
Feda Mohammad Rahimi, who drives for both platforms full time, said many drivers already work 10- to 12-hour days, seven days a week, and take home only a fraction of each ride.
“When the Waymo [is] coming, there will be zero chance, I believe, that this driver can, you know, make some money to pay their expenses,” Rahimi said.
Some drivers said they also worry about safety.
“I think it’s unsafe because there’s no control, there’s no safety options, there’s not a whole lot of control over the car when you get inside of it,” Arnold said. “So it’s kind of, for me, I’m not a huge fan of it.”
Waymo also announced plans to begin service in San Diego around the middle of next year. The DMV says maps of approved testing areas are available on its website, but it’s still unclear when Waymo will launch in the Sacramento region.
RELATED: Watch for free with the ABC10+ streaming app. Here’s how