New York Governor Clears the Way for Robotaxis Everywhere, With One Notable Exception | TechCrunch

New York Governor Kathy Hochul plans to introduce legislation that would effectively legalize robotaxis in the state – with the exception of its most populous metropolis: New York City.

Hochul, who made the comments Tuesday during her State of the State address, said the legislation would advance the next phase of the state’s autonomous vehicle pilot program.

Details about the proposed legislation and when it might be released are scarce. However, there are some hints in there within a document that outlines a series of proposals and promises that Hochul made in her State of the State address.

That includes language to expand the state’s existing AV pilot program to allow for “the limited deployment of commercial, for-hire autonomous passenger vehicles outside New York City.”

The document goes on to say that companies seeking to commercially operate robotaxi services will be required to submit applications that “demonstrate local support for AV deployment and adherence to the highest possible safety standards.”

It is not clear what “limited deployment” or “highest possible safety standards” mean. The document also does not outline how the state will track or assess a company’s safety performance, other than to say it will involve multiple agencies, including the Department of Motor Vehicles, the Department of Transportation and the New York State Police.

The governor’s office told TechCrunch that more will be shared in the governor’s executive budget proposal, which will be released on January 20.

Still, the comments were enough to make Alphabet-owned Waymo cheer.

“Governor Hochul’s proposal to legalize fully autonomous vehicles is a transformative moment for New York’s transportation system,” Justin Kintz, Waymo’s head of global public policy, said in an emailed statement.

“Under the Governor’s leadership, New York has the opportunity to pair its investments in lower speeds, better traffic enforcement and first-in-the-nation congestion management strategies with Waymo’s demonstrably secure technology, creating a future where life in New York is safer, easier and more accessible. We are ready to work with leaders across the state to make this future a reality and bring new infrastructure, career opportunities and investments to the Empire State,” said Kintz.

Waymo and other companies have been trying to enter New York state for years, with limited success. Current New York state law requires drivers to keep one hand on the wheel at all times. That poses a problem for robotaxi operators like Waymo, because there’s no human behind the wheel — if there is one at all.

The state’s AV pilot program has created an exception to that rule, theoretically allowing companies to develop and test autonomous vehicles in the state.

Yet significant hurdles remain, especially in New York City. Last August, municipal regulators granted Waymo permission to test its robotaxis in the densely populated city. Under that permit, Waymo can deploy up to eight of its Jaguar I-Pace vehicles in Manhattan and Downtown Brooklyn, with a human safety operator behind the wheel. A Waymo spokesperson told TechCrunch that the permit has been extended until March 31.

Even with the permit, Waymo cannot carry passengers or operate a commercial robotaxi service without obtaining separate permits from the city’s Taxi and Limousine Commission.

And while legislation was introduced last year to create a framework for driverless operations, it languished in the Senate Transportation Committee. The governor’s proposal could help solve that bottleneck.