Phoenix public transit to try Waymo to connect more riders

PHOENIX — Five months after Uber pulled its selfdriving cars out of Arizona following a fatal accident, Google spinoff Waymo is putting the technology back on Phoenix streets in partnership with the city’s transit system.

Valley Metro, the agency that oversees metro Phoenix’s light rail and buses, had already been in talks about partnering with Waymo for several months before the accident last March that killed a pedestrian. The company’s safety record is impeccable, but they are always trying to improve, Valley Metro CEO Scott Smith said Wednesday.

“As tragic as the Uber accident was, what it did do was it pointed out to everybody, including Waymo, that there was a higher standard that needed to be met,” Smith said. “It caused them to not only continue with what they were doing, but really step it up.”

Waymo announced in a blog post Tuesday a pilot program that would allow riders to hail an autonomous car to the nearest Valley Metro transit stop. Riders would order a vehicle through the Waymo app.

Valley Metro employees will be the first to try out the technology. The cars, which are about the size of minivans and have the Waymo logo prominently displayed, will likely be staffed with Waymo employees, Smith said.

The program is more of a research project, for now, with the company trying to gather data about the experiences of riders, Smith said. Most riders live and work within half a mile of their transit stop, making the public transportation unappealing for others. A driverless car service could change that.

“There are some people who are saying that this new technology will replace or make public transportation irrelevant, obsolete. We don’t believe that,” Smith said. “We believe this will expand our ability to serve.”

Valley Metro and Waymo are sharing the costs. Valley Metro’s board approved $200,000 over two years toward operation of the cars.