Waymo, the autonomous vehicle technology company, announced Wednesday that it will be expanding into the Pittsburgh region.
The ride-hailing service is a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc., Google’s parent company. Waymo will also expand into three other cities, including St. Louis, Baltimore and Philadelphia.
“We’re excited for residents and visitors in Pittsburgh to one day experience the safety, convenience, and magic of our technology firsthand,” the company said in a blog post on its website. “Pittsburgh is already home to several members of our team, and has a special place in autonomous vehicle history. The Carnegie Mellon Tartan Racing team won first place in DARPA’s Urban Challenge – the event that kicked off America’s pursuit of fully autonomous vehicles – and included multiple Waymo alumni who are continuing to lead the development of autonomous driving technology throughout the industry.”
Waymo’s fleet implementation will begin this week, with manual drivers traveling through Downtown Pittsburgh in the company’s fifth- and sixth-generation vehicles. The company will work toward a fully autonomous launch in the future.
Authority over autonomous vehicles has since been transferred to PennDOT, which manages issues related to them in Pennsylvania.
“With Waymo’s support, we can grow our programs and create more opportunities for friendship, jobs, and leadership development—helping build a more inclusive community for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities,” said Samantha Civitate, Best Buddies State Director for Pennsylvania. “Accessible transportation remains a vital piece of fostering independence and inclusion.”
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