\u201cFrom our perspective, as a transit agency, anything that can get make it easier for people to get too public transit or from public transit to where they need to go is a help,\u201d VTA spokesperson Stacey Ross told San Jos\u00e9 Spotlight. \u201cThat\u2019s a positive.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sergio Lopez, VTA board chair and a Campbell councilmember, did not respond to a request for comment.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/Waymo-WG-1-1024x771.jpg\")
A Waymo taxi idling on a side street in downtown Willow Glen. File photo.<\/p>\n
Waymo is encouraging its users to ride local buses and light rail through a rewards program<\/a> that gives riders $2.85 in credits when they take a Waymo ride and use public transportation within two hours of each other.<\/p>\n Waymo spokesperson Mark Lewis said the expansion is part of the company\u2019s effort to serve more riders across the Bay Area. He said the company plans to continue expanding its service across the South Bay and broader Bay Area, but has not yet identified exactly where the next expansion will be.<\/p>\n Waymo currently services San Jose Mineta International Airport, parts of San Jose, including Santana Row, Westfield Valley Fair and neighborhoods such as Rosemary Gardens, Newhall, College Park, Cory, Willow Glen and Vista Park. The company also services the cities of Campbell and Cupertino.<\/p>\n \u201cA lot of people can take mass transit somewhere, but then to get the last mile to where their actual destination is, there\u2019s a gap there,\u201dLewis told San Jos\u00e9 Spotlight. \u201cWaymo wants to be a good partner and to help public transit thrive.\u201d<\/p>\n Sridharan S., who didn\u2019t want his last name used to protect his privacy, is an avid cyclist who frequently travels to the Berryessa Transit Center. He said he has ridden in a Waymo and would consider using the service to get to the station.<\/p>\n \u201cI take the bus or bike, but I\u2019d take Waymo as long as it\u2019s safe,\u201d\u00a0he told San Jos\u00e9 Spotlight.\u201d I haven\u2019t heard too many bad things, it\u2019s somewhere in the middle. I\u2019ve taken Waymo it helped me to get from point A to point B.\u201d<\/p>\n But for some commuters, having another transportation option doesn\u2019t necessarily mean they\u2019re comfortable using it. Carl Wilson, who travels from South Hayward to East San Jose on BART, said he\u2019s hesitant\u00a0to use Waymo because he prefers having a human driver in control of the vehicle. It\u2019s not a matter of price, but safety.<\/p>\n \u201cHonestly I\u2019m scared to take Waymo, I\u2019d rather be in control,\u201d Wilson told San Jos\u00e9 Spotlight. \u201cSeldomly, if it\u2019s crunch time or something I\u2019ll take a Uber or Lyft.\u201d<\/p>\n Federal regulators have raised concerns about the safety of Waymo\u2019s driverless vehicles. On Nov. 6, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened a recall query<\/a> covering 2,895 Waymo vehicles to determine whether a software update adequately addressed reports of the vehicles passing stopped school buses with flashing red lights and extended stop arms. The National Transportation Safety Board is also investigating a January incident<\/a> in which a Waymo vehicle struck a 9-year-old student in a Santa Monica school zone. The child sustained minor injuries.<\/p>\n Lisa Parks, who lives and works in Oakland but was in San Jose for work on Monday, said she would not use the service.<\/p>\n \u201cI think (Waymo is) taking away jobs from humans, and I don\u2019t trust technology that much,\u201d Parks told San Jos\u00e9 Spotlight. \u201cI\u2019ll take anything other than that, bicycle, walking, etc.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"In-line](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/1794346091_403_interactive-420894084833.png\")
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