TAMPA — The waitlist is gone. As of Wednesday, anyone in Tampa can download the Waymo app and hail a car with nobody in the driver's seat.
Waymo announced Oct. 14 that its Tampa service is open to all riders with no invite code, the same day it opened San Diego and San Antonio to the public. The company started letting select riders in on Sept. 1 and has been adding people from its signup list on a rolling basis since.
“We've welcomed hundreds of thousands of riders in these cities since opening our service earlier in the year, whether heading to the beach, a hockey game, the Riverwalk or just a grocery run,” Waymo said in a post on its blog, a figure that covers all three cities combined.
Where you can go
Waymo's Tampa zone covers roughly 50 square miles, running from Hyde Park north to Northwest Park and Temple Crest, and from Westshore east to Highland Pines in East Tampa, Axios Tampa Bay reported at launch.
That takes in Water Street, the Channel District, Armature Works, Ybor City and the Florida Aquarium, plus Raymond James Stadium, the Lightning's downtown arena and Steinbrenner Field, according to FOX 13. With the Bucs and USF both playing at Raymond James this weekend, that's a real option for skipping the parking lot.
The announcement didn't add Tampa International Airport, so check the map in the app before planning an airport run. It's also Tampa only for now. Waymo is testing in Pinellas County and hopes to expand to St. Petersburg, FOX 13 reported.
How it works
- Download the Waymo app and request a ride inside the service area. You see the fare before you book, and Waymo says prices can run higher at busy times such as nights and weekends.
- Unlock the car with your phone when it pulls up. The car waits a few minutes at pickup, and the app counts down how long you have.
- You have to be in the car. You can't hail a ride for someone else, and guests have to ride with you the whole trip, under Waymo's rider rules. Up to four passengers can ride.
- Bring your own car seat for young kids. Children under 8 can't sit up front.
- Don't touch the wheel or pedals, and keep everything inside the car. Breaking those rules can cost you your account.
Waymo's Tampa service launched with all-electric Jaguar I-PACEs, the SUVs with the familiar roof-mounted sensors, based out of a warehouse the company bought in Town 'n' Country in June, according to Axios. Some riders may now get Waymo's newest vehicle, the Ojai, which runs on the company's sixth-generation driving system, the Tampa Bay Business Journal reported.
Who it's helping
Waymo leaned on accessibility in its announcement. Scott Young, board chair of Lighthouse for the Blind & Low Vision, said transportation is the biggest obstacle for the people his organization serves. “A lot of them lose their sight at some point in their life or their vision decreases significantly, and they can't drive anymore,” Young said. “With Waymo, they get their independence back.”
Tansel Yucelen, a mechanical and aerospace engineering professor at the University of South Florida, called the Tampa launch a milestone when it opened in September. “We are moving from testing autonomous vehicles to actually putting members of the public inside these vehicles with no human driver,” he told FOX 13.
The safety questions
Waymo's expansion hasn't been smooth everywhere. Over the past year, its cars have struggled with fireworks in San Francisco, flooded roads in Atlanta and stopped school buses in Austin, FOX 13 noted. An independent study found Waymo's robotaxis are involved in fewer crashes than human drivers, Axios reported.
Waymo also isn't the only driverless option in town. Tesla launched its own robotaxi service in Tampa in July.