Waymo expands area for its self-driving cars to north Scottsdale, Desert Ridge
The Phoenix area already had the biggest autonomous service area in the country, which now includes 315 square miles. Waymo is expanding its autonomous vehicle coverage area in Phoenix, Arizona, to include north Scottsdale, Desert Ridge Marketplace, Talking Stick Entertainment District, and some parts of Mesa. The expansion adds 90 square miles to the area, expanding it to 315 square miles. The company also improved in-vehicle music features, allowing riders to customize music selection through new iHeartRadio stations and redesigned display for clearer visibility of objects like stop signs and other road signs. Waymo employees can now access curbside terminal pick-up and drop-off at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport at all hours of the day, and plans to offer this service to the public soon. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Office of Defects Investigation has opened a preliminary investigation into some unexpected driving behaviors from Waymo vehicles, initially identifying 22 incidents, but later adding nine more to the list. No injuries were reported in any incidents reported.
Опубликовано : 10 месяцев назад от Corina Vanek, Arizona Republic в Tech Auto
Autonomous vehicle operator Waymo is expanding its coverage area in the Valley, adding 90 square miles in the northern reaches of Phoenix and Scottsdale, with some destinations on the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community.
Phoenix was already home to the largest fully autonomous service area in the U.S., but the expansion grows that area to 315 square miles. Attractions in the expanded coverage area now include Desert Ridge Marketplace, TPC Scottsdale, the Talking Stick Entertainment District and some parts of Mesa, including the Mesa Arts Center and Pioneer Park.
“The Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community is excited to announce its partnership with Waymo,” said community President Martin Harvier in a statement. “This collaboration marks a significant step forward in our commitment to innovation and sustainable solutions. Waymo's proven track record in developing and deploying autonomous technologies gives us confidence that this initiative will revolutionize the way people travel within our city, enhancing accessibility, safety, and efficiency for residents and visitors alike.”
Along with expanding the coverage area, Waymo is also improving the in-vehicle music features, allowing riders to customize the music selection through new iHeartRadio stations. The in-car screens also feature a redesigned display so riders can more clearly see how the vehicle perceives objects like stop signs and other information on the road.
The company also added a “share trip” feature that allows a rider to share their location and ride status with a friend or family member through the Waymo app.
“We’re not only focused on giving our riders more places to ride,” Waymo Chief Product Officer Saswat Panigrahi said in a statement. “We’re also continually listening to our riders and finding ways to make the in-car experience safer and more comfortable.”
Waymo employees can now access curbside terminal pick-up and drop-off at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport at all hours of the day and the company intends to offer that service to the public soon. Now, riders can access terminals directly from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. only but can access SkyTrain stations at all hours.
In May, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Office of Defects Investigation sent Waymo a letter announcing it had opened a preliminary investigation into some occurrences of unexpected driving behaviors from Waymo vehicles. The office originally identified 22 incidents, but later added nine more to the list.
Of the 31 incidents listed in the letter, 14 were in Arizona. No injuries were reported in any.
At the time, Waymo officials said they will continue to work with federal authorities and were proud of the company’s safety record.
“At Waymo, we currently serve over 50,000 weekly trips for our riders in some of the most challenging and complex environments,” the Waymo spokesperson said. “We are proud of our performance and safety record over tens of millions of autonomous miles driven, as well as our demonstrated commitment to safety transparency. NHTSA plays a very important role in road safety, and we will continue to work with them as part of our mission to become the world’s most trusted driver.”
According to the letter, Waymo has until June 11 to provide information relating to each case listed in the notice, including the VIN of the vehicles involved, video from the incident, and explanations of the autonomous system and possible reasoning for the decisions the vehicle made.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Waymo adds north Scottsdale, Desert Ridge to autonomous coverage area