Lit clusters: US cities with public driverless rides. Rings: testing or announced.
Can I ride a robotaxi in New York City?
Waymo has announced plans for New York City, but no public rides have started.
- Status
- Announced
- Operators
- Waymo
- Last checked
Operators in New York City
- Announced
What's happening in New York City
New York City had Waymo testing, then lost it. On Aug 22, 2025 the city granted Waymo a testing permit for up to eight vehicles with a safety driver in Manhattan and Downtown Brooklyn. The city and state permits expired on Mar 31, 2026, and Streetsblog NYC reported that Waymo quietly stopped testing.
State law is the bigger wall. New York still requires a hand on the wheel, and the state pilot allows testing only. On Feb 19, 2026, Gov. Hochul withdrew a budget proposal that would have allowed robotaxis outside New York City. It excluded cities over 1M people, so it would not have covered the five boroughs in any case. The New York rules page follows this.
NYC still counts as an announced city because Waymo names it among its "Up Next" cities, even with no cars testing and no date. The nearest public rides are in Atlanta and Nashville. Philadelphia, the closest testing city, has Waymo cars with a specialist behind the wheel.
Rules that apply here
- New York rules: Gov. Hochul withdrew a proposal to allow robotaxis outside NYC on Feb 19, 2026, and the state pilot allows testing only. Waymo's NYC testing permits expired Mar 31, 2026.
Timeline
- Waymo's New York City and state testing permits expired and its NYC testing stopped. Source
- New York's governor withdrew a budget proposal that would have allowed robotaxis outside New York City. Source
- NYC granted Waymo a testing permit for up to eight vehicles with a safety driver in Manhattan and Downtown Brooklyn. Source
New York City robotaxi questions
Can I ride a Waymo in New York City?
Waymo's New York City testing permits expired on Mar 31, 2026, and testing stopped. There are no rides.
Is Waymo still testing in NYC?
Streetsblog NYC reported that Waymo quietly stopped testing after its permits expired at the end of March 2026.
Why can't robotaxis run in New York?
New York law still requires a hand on the wheel, and the state pilot allows testing only.
When will Waymo launch in New York City?
Waymo has no New York City launch date. It calls NYC "Up Next," but no state law allows driverless rides there.
Sources
- Waymo: Waymo Updates
- TechCrunch: Waymo approved to start autonomous vehicle testing in New York City, Aug 22, 2025
- Streetsblog NYC: With Waymo Testing Halted..., Apr 8, 2026
- Electric-Vehicles.com: Waymo's New York City Testing Ends as Permits Expire, Apr 7, 2026
"Reported" means one news report that the operator or a regulator hasn't confirmed yet.
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