St. Petersburg, FL – Waymo robotaxis could eventually become part of the transportation landscape in St. Petersburg as the autonomous vehicle company moves closer to launching driverless operations in Tampa.
Waymo vehicles have been seen traveling in St. Petersburg, raising questions about whether the company could eventually expand its planned Tampa service across Tampa Bay into Pinellas County.
The company has not announced public robotaxi service in St. Petersburg or confirmed that the city will be included in its initial Tampa service area.
Waymo announced in July that it was preparing to begin fully autonomous operations in Tampa, along with Denver, Las Vegas and San Diego.
The company said vehicles in those cities would soon operate without a human specialist behind the wheel.
Initial rider-only trips are expected to be limited to Waymo employees before the company begins welcoming members of the public.
Waymo began laying the groundwork for operations in Tampa in 2025 as part of its continued expansion into additional U.S. markets.
The company already provides public autonomous ride-hailing service in Miami and Orlando, where customers can request driverless vehicles using the Waymo app.
Before operating in a new area, Waymo maps roads in detail, including intersections, traffic signals, lane markings, curbs and crosswalks.
Its autonomous driving system then combines those maps with real-time sensor information and artificial intelligence to navigate.
Waymo has not announced when public rides will begin in Tampa or whether St. Petersburg will officially join the service area.