{"id":179703,"date":"2026-02-25T14:05:29","date_gmt":"2026-02-25T14:05:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/179703\/"},"modified":"2026-02-25T14:05:29","modified_gmt":"2026-02-25T14:05:29","slug":"waymo-ride-service-has-finally-rolled-out-in-san-antonio","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/179703\/","title":{"rendered":"Waymo ride service has finally rolled out in San Antonio"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"AA driverless Waymo vehicle drives down the street. Credit: Shutterstock<\/p>\n

A version of this story originally appeared in Orlando Weekly,<\/a> an affiliated publication. <\/p>\n

After months of prowling San Antonio streets, self-driving artificial intelligence-powered robotaxis have officially begun picking up riders here.\u00a0<\/p>\n

After testing its cars here<\/a>, Waymo made its official Alamo City debut Tuesday, offering an unconventional ride service that strives to be \u201cthe world\u2019s most trusted driver,\u201d according to the company, which is owned by Google parent company Alphabet.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The cars eliminate human drivers, opting instead for an AI-powered ride. Waymo vehicles detect pedestrians, public transit vehicles and emergency vehicles through a combination of cameras, lidar, radar and artificial intelligence, the company officials said. <\/p>\n

It also eliminates the need for passengers to tip their drivers, as is the norm for other ride share services. It\u2019s worth noting, however, that untipped Waymo rides did not end up costing less than tipped Uber rides, and tipped Lyft rides cost less than either one, in a\u00a0comparison performed<\/a>\u00a0in San Francisco by Business Insider.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

The service also debuted in Dallas, Houston and Orlando, Florida, on Tuesday, bringing the total number of cities it operates in to 10.<\/p>\n

Waymo announced select riders in these cities who have downloaded the Waymo app were invited Tuesday to take their first local rides. Additional invitations will be sent out to new riders on a rolling basis.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer\u00a0previously said<\/a>\u00a0the service is a testament to the city\u2019s forward-thinking. Integrating Waymo in Orlando aligns with the city\u2019s \u201cVision Zero<\/a>\u201d goal to eliminate traffic deaths and accidents by 2040.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Waymo is already active in major cities such as Phoenix, Los Angeles, Miami and Atlanta.<\/p>\n

Waymo has\u00a0argued<\/a>\u00a0that its AI-powered \u201cdriver\u201d is \u201calways alert, as it follows speed limits, promotes seat belt use and operates some of the safest vehicles on the road,\u201d compared to other drivers.\u00a0<\/p>\n

However,\u00a0Waymo has received criticism for\u00a0risks to public safety<\/a>\u00a0and for its potential to undermine publicly owned and operated transit systems (despite incentives<\/a>\u00a0Waymo has offered for people to use both).<\/p>\n

In late 2025, the company was investigated for allegedly failing to comply with traffic laws regarding\u00a0school buses<\/a>.\u00a0Shortly after, Waymo stated that it had already implemented software updates to fix any malfunctions.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The company made headlines in November when a self-driving car struck and killed Kit Kat, a\u00a0beloved San Francisco bodega cat<\/a>. His death rallied the district, resulting in memorials for the tabby and posters protesting the ride service. As news spread beyond the neighborhood, social media users formed negative opinions about the service.<\/p>\n

An independent analysis of\u00a0federal crash data<\/a>\u00a0by the Substack publication\u00a0Understanding AI<\/a>\u00a0found that, from February to August of 2025, most of the 41 crashes that reportedly involved Waymo\u2019s robotaxis weren\u2019t the fault of Waymo\u2019s software itself, but rather actions by other drivers or \u2014 as\u00a0The Atlantic\u00a0put it \u2014 \u201cseemingly an act of God<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n

This story includes additional reporting by McKenna Schueler.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Driverless\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\tThe California company has faced negative headlines, including recent allegations one of its cars ran over a beloved cat in San Francisco. \t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

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