New York Gov. Kathy Hochul plans to introduce legislation that would effectively legalize robotaxis in the state — except in its most populous metropolis: New York.
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 pointers included within a document which outlines a series of proposals and promises Hochul made in her State of the State address.
Among them is language to expand the state’s existing AV pilot program to allow for “limited development of commercial autonomous passenger vehicles for hire outside of New York.”
The document goes on to say that companies wanting to operate robotaxi services commercially should submit applications that “demonstrate local support for AV development and compliance with the highest possible safety standards.”
It is not clear what “limited development” or “highest possible security standards” means. Nor does the document describe how the state would monitor or judge a company’s safety record, other than to 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 set to be released on January 20.
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Still, the remarks 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.
“With the Governor’s leadership, New York has the opportunity to combine its investments in lower speeds, better traffic enforcement and first-generation congestion management strategies with Waymo’s proven safe technology, creating a future where living in New York is safer, easier and more affordable. We are ready to partner with new leaders across the state. State,” Kintz said.
Waymo and other companies have tried for years to enter New York state 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 robot operators like Waymo, since there’s no human behind the wheel — if there’s a wheel at all.
The state’s AV pilot program provided an exception to that rule, theoretically allowing companies to develop and test autonomous vehicles in the state.
However, there are significant obstacles, particularly in New York. Last August, city regulators granted Waymo permission to test its robotaxi in the densely populated city. Under this license, 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 license has been extended until March 31.
Even with the license, Waymo cannot carry passengers or operate a commercial robotaxi service without separate permits from the city’s Taxi and Limousine Commission.
And while legislation was introduced last year to create a framework for driverless operation has languished in the state Senate’s transportation committee. The governor’s proposal could help ease that congestion.
