{"id":433526,"date":"2026-08-15T06:08:19","date_gmt":"2026-08-15T06:08:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/433526\/"},"modified":"2026-08-15T06:08:19","modified_gmt":"2026-08-15T06:08:19","slug":"waymo-announces-big-california-service-expansion-across-bay-area-los-angeles-and-more-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/433526\/","title":{"rendered":"Waymo announces big California service expansion across Bay Area, Los Angeles and more"},"content":{"rendered":"

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) — Those white Jaguars, which seem to be everywhere in San Francisco, will soon be heading to new destinations across California.<\/p>\n

Waymo has received approval from the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to significantly expand its autonomous ride-hailing service across the Bay Area and Los Angeles.<\/p>\n

The company announced the decision in a post on X<\/a>, saying the new authorization clears the way for broader robotaxi operations beyond its current service area, which stretches from San Francisco south through the Peninsula to San Jose.<\/p>\n

Under the expansion, Waymo will be permitted to operate throughout the Bay Area, from Brentwood in the East Bay to Sea Ranch in Sonoma County.<\/p>\n

MORE: DMV greenlights Waymo driverless taxis to expand services across Bay Area and beyond<\/a><\/p>\n

Services will also soon be brought to Sacramento and San Diego.<\/p>\n

But experts caution that riders should not expect the service to appear everywhere overnight.<\/p>\n

“While they have clearance to drive throughout the Bay Area and Los Angeles, it’s not going to happen all at once,” said Scott Moura, a UC Berkeley civil engineering professor who specializes in autonomous vehicle technology.<\/p>\n

Moura said a gradual rollout will allow Waymo to address challenges that may arise in new driving environments.<\/p>\n

“It will be interesting to see how they perform on highways, going across bridges, in rural areas where maybe you don’t have connectivity,” Moura said. “So, there might be growing pains.”<\/p>\n

The CPUC approval comes after several high-profile incidents involving Waymo vehicles in San Francisco. During Fourth of July celebrations, multiple autonomous vehicles became stalled in traffic, blocking city streets and drawing public criticism.<\/p>\n

MORE: SF may soon fine autonomous vehicle companies for impeding emergency response<\/a><\/p>\n

Waymo has also adjusted operations during major events. The company restricted service near Golden Gate Park during the Outside Lands music festival to help manage traffic and safety concerns.<\/p>\n

Despite those setbacks, experts say autonomous vehicle technology is continuing to gain a foothold and is likely to play an increasing role in transportation across California.<\/p>\n

Moura said public engagement will be important as the technology expands.<\/p>\n

“Everyone should ask questions about this. Be skeptical. Be curious,” he said. “These only make sense if they provide value to the community, and if they provide safety.”<\/p>\n

Waymo says it will roll out the expansion gradually, guided by the company’s safety framework, as it brings driverless ride-hailing service to more communities throughout Northern California.<\/p>\n

In a statement, Waymo said: “We look forward to bringing the same mobility and safety benefits millions of Californians already enjoy to more communities, keeping local officials and residents informed every step of the way.”<\/p>\n

\"Now<\/a><\/p>\n

Copyright \u00a9 2026 KGO-TV. All Rights Reserved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) — Those white Jaguars, which seem to be everywhere in San Francisco, will soon be…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":433361,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[172118,7,9,8],"class_list":["post-433526","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-california","tag-172118","tag-california","tag-california-headlines","tag-california-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/433526","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=433526"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/433526\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/433361"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=433526"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=433526"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=433526"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}