Where Mesa officials want Waymos to go next
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Illustration: Eniola Odetunde/Axios
Waymo is about to add rides to Mesa Gateway Airport, but Mesa officials want the robotaxi company to move farther west into the city.
Why it matters: Even though the expansion gives more East Valley residents ridehail options to the airport, large residential areas of Mesa still remain outside its service territory.
The latest: The company announced this month that it's adding 55 square miles of the East Valley to its service area, though the expansion for now caters to Chandler and Gilbert.
State of play: Ian Linssen, Mesa's chief of emerging technology, tells Axios the city has continually asked Waymo to expand westward to serve Mesa's large residential areas.
- "We tell them we'd love to see it," he says.
Flashback: When Waymo first started offering its services in Mesa in 2023, it incorporated most of the downtown area.
- "We thought that was pretty cool because we kind of call it informally our arts and innovation district. It ... made sense to have that whole area be serviced by Waymo," says Linssen.
- A year later, the robotaxi company opened a service station in Mesa, growing its ties with the city.
Zoom in: Once Sky Harbor, Scottsdale Airpark and Mesa Gateway are all in the service area, the Valley will have more airport access from Waymo than any other city.
Catch up quick: Waymo pulled its cars from Valley freeways earlier this year for a software fix to help the vehicles better navigate construction zones.
- It restored service in late July, and the company tells Axios its new East Valley territory will be accessible by freeway.