California clears Waymo to take robotaxis onto highways

Just when everyone thought California regulators were about to pump the brakes on autonomous vehicles, they handed Waymo the keys to the highway instead.

On Friday, the California Public Utilities Commission approved Waymo’s major expansion plans. The green light allows the company’s driverless robotaxis to operate in parts of Los Angeles and across the San Francisco Bay Area. Crucially, it clears Waymo vehicles to travel at speeds up to 65 mph on both local streets and designated freeways, with immediate effect.

The timing is a genuine surprise. Only last month, the commission suspended Waymo’s expansion until June for further staff review, following fierce pushback from San Francisco city agencies and community advocates.

Holding the green light, tapping the brakes

Waymo now has permission to hit highway speeds, but you will not see them darting down the freeway just yet.

Waymo spokesperson Julia Ilina told The Washington Post that the company’s roll-out will remain careful and incremental, noting that there are no immediate plans to introduce passenger rides to freeways.

That caution makes sense. Public anxiety around self-driving safety has spiked in recent months. A Waymo vehicle struck a cyclist in San Francisco last month, and Cruise has been completely grounded since October after one of its vehicles hit and dragged a pedestrian 20 feet.

Despite those incidents, the commission determined that Waymo proved its commitment to continuously evaluating its tech, human operations, and safety protocols to keep passenger risks minimal.

Cities pushed back, but the state moved ahead

The decision was far from unanimous in spirit. Local pushback in Southern California was fierce leading up to Friday’s order.

The Los Angeles Department of Transportation demanded formal evidentiary hearings on disputed safety facts. Local officials also urged regulators to pause until California Senate Bill 915 plays out, which would grant individual cities significantly more regulatory power over robotaxis.

The state commission dismissed those requests out of hand, arguing that city officials failed to identify material facts that required formal hearings, while calling legislative battles outside its scope. Concerns raised by groups like the American Council of the Blind regarding updated accessibility standards were similarly brushed aside as broad policy matters.

Why it matters

For riders across Los Angeles and the Peninsula, Waymo is transitioning from a novelty street shuttle into a genuine transit utility. Highway access is the holy grail for robotaxi unit economics. Without freeways, a self-driving cab simply cannot match Uber or Lyft on trip times or handle critical routes like airport runs.

Across the industry, this is a massive lifeline. With Cruise sidelined, Waymo is carrying the flag for autonomous commercialization in North America. California regulators signaled that despite localized political outrage, the state has no intention of stalling autonomous vehicle progress or ceding its tech leadership.

We think the commission’s decision to ignore municipal objections risks fueling long-term local hostility, especially if another high-profile collision occurs. That is precisely why Waymo’s decision to decline immediate freeway access is smart. Pocketing the legal permit while keeping speeds modest lets the company build real-world mileage without taking unnecessary, existential public relations risks.