Introduction to Waymo’s San Francisco International Airport Permit

Waymo, an Alphabet company, has secured a temporary permit to map the roadways at the San Francisco International Airport (SFO), marking the first step towards potentially lucrative robotaxi services.

Temporary Permit Details

The temporary permit, announced by San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie on Monday evening, became effective on March 14.

Operations and Limitations

During this phase, Waymo vehicles will not operate autonomously within the airport. Instead, employees will manually drive the vehicles to map the area, signifying the beginning of a phased approach towards commercial operation.

Significance of the Permit

This mapping permit is a crucial step towards introducing the Waymo service to the millions of travelers who use SFO annually. Many have expressed interest in having Waymo services available at the airport, as stated by Nicole Gavel, head of business development and strategic partnerships at Waymo.

Previous Attempts and Conditions

The permit comes after Waymo’s failed attempt to secure a permit in 2023. It includes conditions such as data sharing, as outlined in the agreement viewed by TechCrunch. These conditions are expected to be part of future agreements with the city and the San Francisco Airport Commission as Waymo progresses through its phased approach, which includes mapping, autonomous testing with a safety operator, driverless testing, and eventual commercial operations.

Data Sharing Agreement

Waymo is required to provide specific data after each mapping session per vehicle, including entry and exit times, geographic locations, and vehicle identifiers, as per the “data interface agreement” viewed by TechCrunch.

Restrictions on Autonomous Vehicles

The agreement prohibits the use of autonomous vehicles for commercial goods transportation. Following the closure of its self-driving trucks program in 2023, Waymo has focused on people transportation. This restriction addresses concerns raised by The International Brotherhood of Teamsters regarding commercial delivery applications.

Response from The International Brotherhood of Teamsters

The restriction has garnered the approval of Peter Finn, Teamsters Western Region vice president, who thanked Mayor Lurie for his leadership in addressing safety, job, and community impact concerns.

Past Efforts and Future Approvals

Waymo began efforts to access SFO for pickups and drop-offs over a year ago. The approval process, which requires separate approval from the San Francisco Airport Commission, is expected to follow a similar path to that of Uber and Lyft’s initial access over a decade ago.

Conclusion

For now, Waymo has secured a temporary access agreement for mapping SFO airport roadways. The company will need to obtain a ground transportation permit to operate commercially at SFO, which is pending approval.