Waymo officially launches in Denver on Tuesday
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A Waymo robotaxi from Waymo parked at Alamo Placita Park in Denver. Photo: Hyoung Chang/The Denver Post via Getty Images
The robots are ready for riders.
Driving the news: Waymo will open its fully autonomous ride-hailing service to the Denver public Tuesday, ending a year of testing and putting driverless taxis on the city's streets for paying customers.
- Tens of thousands of Denverites have already joined the waitlist, Waymo tells Axios, though riders will be invited on a rolling basis.
- Denver launches alongside San Diego and Tampa.
Zoom in: Waymo's initial Denver territory spans 60 square miles, from roughly Cory-Merrill to North Washington and Villa Park to City Park — including downtown, RiNo, Capitol Hill and Cherry Creek.
- Dozens of vehicles will serve the area, which also includes Coors Field, Ball Arena and Empower Field.
Between the lines: Don't count on catching a driverless ride Tuesday. Waymo is granting access on a rolling basis and hasn't said how many people will get in initially — or when everyone will be able to ride.
Yes, but: Waymo still has Denverites to win over.
- 58% of voters who haven't ridden in a self-driving taxi told the Colorado Polling Institute last month they're unlikely to try one, compared with 32% who said they're likely.
- The rollout has also had hiccups, including Waymos getting tripped up by Colfax construction and a recent chain-reaction crash in which another vehicle was pushed into a stopped Waymo.
The other side: Colorado taxi companies have challenged part of Waymo's state permitting, arguing driverless vehicles create unfair competition and raise safety concerns.
- Colorado Independent Drivers United, a union representing taxi, rideshare and delivery drivers, calls Waymo a "direct threat to drivers' jobs," the Denver Gazette reports.
What's next: Waymo said it plans to expand beyond its initial footprint, including eventually serving Denver International Airport.
How to ride: Download the Waymo app and join the waitlist. Invitations start rolling out Tuesday.
Editor's note: This story has been corrected with new information from Waymo to say it officially launches in Denver Tuesday (not Wednesday).