The California Public Utilities Commission has given its approval for Waymo to expand the area in which it operates its commercial robotaxi service, paving the way for the company to introduce its driverless vehicles to more communities located south of San Francisco.

In a recent post on X, the company stated that this approval will not alter its immediate plans. Currently, Waymo operates a commercial robotaxi service throughout San Francisco and parts of the Peninsula. Additionally, the company offers driverless rides to paying customers in several Silicon Valley cities, including parts of Mountain View, Palo Alto, Los Altos, and Sunnyvale. The total service area spans approximately 85 square miles, covering both San Francisco and Silicon Valley.

The company is also working towards gaining access to the San Francisco International Airport, although this is a long-term goal. In March, Waymo received permission to map the roadways at SFO through a temporary permit. Although Waymo vehicles will not operate autonomously within the airport, with employees instead manually driving them to map the area, the permit marks the beginning of a phased approach to Waymo’s eventual commercial operation at the airport.

Waymo currently provides 250,000 paid trips each week across its operations, which also extend to Los Angeles, Phoenix, and more recently Austin.