She’s doing a U-turn on driverless cars.
Gov. Kathy Hochul is pumping the brakes on a proposal that would have allowed autonomous vehicle companies like Waymo to expand upstate after professional drivers and unions furiously opposed it.
Hochul is set to roll back the controversial self-driving robotaxi proposal in four upstate cities but allow it to continue as a pilot program in the Big Apple as part of an amended state budget proposal released Thursday.
Gov. Kathy Hochul is rolling back on a proposal that would have allowed autonomous vehicle companies like Waymo to start experimenting with their tech in upstate cities. REUTERS“Based on conversations with stakeholders, including in the legislature, it was clear that the support was not there to advance this proposal,” Hochul spokesperson Sean Butler wrote in a statement.
Hochul had praised the program in January as potentially great for street safety and transportation options outside of New York City — before removing it from the budget less than a month later.
The reversal comes after a group of transit workers, rideshare and taxi drivers called the governor asleep at the wheel — saying it would create massive job losses.
The group, People First Transportation Alliance, said Thursday it now wants Albany to go a step further and pass a law that would effectively bar driverless vehicles completely.
“We urge the Legislature and the Governor to now pass legislation requiring a human driver behind the wheel in every vehicle and a comprehensive study leading to a plan to address the impact driverless cars would have on New York State,” Brendan Sexton, president of the Independent Drivers Guild, wrote in a statement.
A spokesperson for Waymo said the company was “disappointed by the governor’s decision.”
“We hear from thousands of New Yorkers who have experienced Waymo in other cities and want access to it at home. They want the safety, privacy, and comfort that riders in other major cities already enjoy,” the Waymo rep wrote in a statement.
The state legislation still requires localities to sign off on launching autonomous driving pilot programs.
A car from self-driving car company Waymo is pictured in the streets of central London on February 5. AFP via Getty Images“This is not science fiction, rather a real opportunity to increase driver and pedestrian safety across our state,” state Senate Transportation Committee Chairman Jeremy Cooney (D-Monroe) wrote in a statement ripping Hochul’s move.
Tech groups also derided the decision as a short-sighted handout to unions.
“It was a measured step to test technology that has shown the potential to significantly reduce serious crashes and save lives, including those involving pedestrians and cyclists,” Julie Samuels of Tech:NYC wrote in a statement.
Albany first passed legislation authorizing autonomous vehicle companies to test their tech on public roads under Gov. Andrew Cuomo in 2017.
New York City gave the go ahead for testing on city streets in 2021, though the city Department of Transportation only gave Waymo approval to test last year, making it the first company to do so anywhere in the state.
