Waymo Now Encouraging Mass Transit
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Well, this Waymo update came as a surprise. The California-based robotaxi company is trialling something interesting through November 15. It will provide Waymo One riders with a $3 credit for future Waymo rides whenever they connect to certain transit stations in the Bay Area.
Presumably, this is partly about promoting efficient multi-modal transportation and encouraging riders to get rid of their cars completely if they haven’t yet, by encouraging them to get used to riding a combo of public transit and Waymo robotaxis. However, there could be a simpler reason for it — Waymo is trying to seduce more customers to its service, particularly those who are currently using public transit. It seems most likely that the company is just trying to recruit more likely passengers in this way.
In the update from Waymo, the company also notes that it is now providing more than 100,000 robotaxi rides a week to customers. Though, I reported on that milestone two months ago. I’m looking forward to the 200,000-robotaxi-rides-a-week milestone.
“Across the San Francisco Bay Area, Metro Phoenix and Los Angeles County, our riders appreciate the safe and consistent experience of riding with a fully-autonomous driver that doesn’t get drowsy, drunk, or distracted,” Waymo adds. That was the experience of my mom and my sisters when they recently used Waymo in the San Francisco area. They loved it and went back for more. They also now wish they had Waymo access where they live and work.
Waymo also highlighted that all of its robotaxis are 100% electric and are currently preventing 135 tons of CO2 emissions per week. However, that benefit may be reduced if Waymo starts poaching customers from mass transit.
Back to the new incentive to connect a Waymo ride with a mass transit ride, the company says: “This pilot is an important step towards making clean transportation more accessible. Waymo will use these learnings to connect riders with public transit, making it easier for people to use both services to reach their destinations. This work is a key part of Waymo’s commitment to building a broader autonomous vehicle ecosystem — one that supports more walkable, bikeable, and transit-rich communities — so we can ultimately be a part of the sustainability solution in each city that we operate in.” That all sounds good from here.
Combined with this pilot program, Waymo is also highlighting ways it’s helping to reduce global heating emissions and protect the local environment. “We’ve also launched a new sustainability page which provides the latest information on Waymo’s environmental impact, and includes further details on the clean energy sources and providers that power Waymo’s shared all-electric mobility system. Our commitment to sourcing renewable energy from local energy suppliers including CleanPowerSF, zSilicon Valley Clean Energy, the Salt River Project, Arizona Public Services, Austin Energy, and the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power allows us to make zero-emissions transportation a convenient choice for more people.” Kudos to Waymo for that.
If you’re in the region but are not yet signed up to use Waymo robotaxis, you can get the “Waymo One” app really quickly and get rolling. I was surprised to see that 36% of San Francisco riders have already used Waymo One and combined its use with various forms of clean transit, like BART, Muni, or Caltrain, according to a recent survey.
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