Aug 12, 2026 - Transit
Spotted: Waymo in Metairie
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Waymo continues to test its self-driving vehicles in metro New Orleans.
Why it matters: The company hopes to eventually offer robotaxi services in southeast Louisiana.
The big picture: I spotted one of Waymo's SUVs on Veterans Memorial Boulevard in Metairie recently.
- There are about a dozen in the region, according to the New Orleans City Council. Each vehicle has a human driver during this phase.
- New Orleans officials expect Waymo to begin testing driverless rides later this year.
- Waymo and other driverless services like Amazon's Zoox and Tesla's Robotaxi would need officials to change the law before they could operate as for-hire services.
What's next: New Orleans City Council members expect to begin drafting a new ordinance to regulate robotaxis this fall, with service potentially starting next year.
