Will Waymo give public driverless rides on any SF freeways by the end of 2024? [description]
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Ṁ9712
Jan 1
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Waymo plans to start testing its fully autonomous vehicles with no human safety driver on freeways in the San Francisco Bay Area this week. Its employees will be the first guinea pigs, and initial testing will start outside rush hour with “less than a handful” of vehicles. https://techcrunch.com/2024/08/12/waymo-to-begin-testing-driverless-robotaxis-on-san-francisco-freeways/
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Resolves YES if Waymo intentionally routes a public driverless ride-hail ride onto at least 1 kilometer of any freeway in or directly adjacent* to San Francisco before the market close time. Resolves NO otherwise.

Public meaning the ride must be given to a non-employee (of Waymo/Alphabet).

Freeway meaning a segment of highway (road) that is barrier-divided (k-rail, guardrail, or cable, between opposing traffic), has a speed limit of at least 45 mph, and is limited-access (no attached bikeway, sidewalk, or crosswalks; and no intersections or driveways--excepting toll plazas; for a continuous segment).

Examples of SF freeways for this question:

  • I-80, I-280, the Central Freeway, US-101 south of the Central Freeway, US-101/CA-1 through the Presidio and across the GGB, CA-1 through Pacifica, etc.

  • SFO "collector-distributor" lanes along US-101 (i.e. from San Bruno Ave and Millbrae Ave) to/from the airport

Examples of SF non-freeways for this question:

  • 19th Ave (CA-1), Sloat Blvd/Skyline Blvd (CA-35), Great Highway,

  • Alemany Blvd and San Jose Ave: Some segments are 45 mph, but have attached bikeways.

  • John Daly Blvd -> Junipero Serra Blvd -> Alemany Blvd: Too short

  • John Daly Blvd -> Junipero Serra Blvd -> 19th Ave: Long enough but has attached sidewalks/crosswalks

  • Local SFO airport access roads - 35 mph speed limit, too short, and not separated

Update 2024-02-16: For "adjacent" I will include all the counties which border SF: Marin, Contra Costa, Alameda, and San Mateo

Other end dates:

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Waymo plans to start testing its fully autonomous vehicles with no human safety driver on freeways in the San Francisco Bay Area this week. Its employees will be the first guinea pigs, and initial testing will start outside rush hour with “less than a handful” of vehicles.

https://techcrunch.com/2024/08/12/waymo-to-begin-testing-driverless-robotaxis-on-san-francisco-freeways/

You may already know this, but for the future note that these sorts of “possible date” questions can be put in one market: https://manifold.markets/OlegEterevsky/when-will-the-4th-starship-launch-h

Phoenix freeway driverless testing w/ non-public riders https://waymo.com/blog/2024/01/from-surface-streets-to-freeways-safely.html