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 OrleansCity Council members expect to begin drafting a new ordinance to regulate robotaxis this fall, with service potentially starting next year.
Waymo has been testing its self-driving vehicles in metro New Orleans for more than a year. This SUV was on Veterans Memorial Boulevard in Metairie. Photo: Carlie Kollath Wells/Axios