Here's When Waymo Will Launch Robotaxis in DC

Yahoo

26-03-2025

Waymo will bring its robotaxi service to Washington, DC, starting in 2026, after other planned launches in 2025.
The company, backed by Google, is the sole major robotaxi operator in the US at the moment, having brought its fleets to a number of cities on the west coast and the southwest.
Washington, DC, will be the first US city where Waymo will launch that sees significant winter weather.
Next stop after Miami for Waymo on the east coast is Washington, DC, with the robotaxi developer and operator set to bring its fleet to the nation's capital as part of its steady march eastward.
Waymo has already taken a road trip to DC last year as a first step of its rollout process, but more work has to be done before service is launched in 2026. This includes detailed mapping of the planned service area, as well as work with first responders and city officials to get the capital ready for its first rollout of SAE Level 4 vehicles.
"We're excited to bring the comfort, consistency, and safety of Waymo One to Washingtonians, those who work and play in the city every day, and the millions of people from around the world who travel to the District every year," said Waymo co-CEO Tekedra Mawakana.
Before robotaxis hit the streets of the nation's capital, Waymo will launch service in Atlanta and Miami later this year, having recently added Austin, with the company having already taken the first steps toward launching operations in those cities.
But the planned launch in the District of Columbia in 2026 will mark another important first for Waymo: DC will be Waymo's first launch city that sees significant winter weather. And by winter weather, we're talking about anything from a few inches of snow to a couple of feet.
That's not something that Miami, Phoenix, Los Angeles, or Austin have served up thus far.
If there are a couple of other pain points about DC traffic, especially as it compared to West Coast cities where Waymo has launched, it's the presence of giant traffic circles—a feature more common to large European cities like Paris than Austin or the Bay Area, for that matter. We certainly don't know the Bay Area to have anything as complex or tedious as Dupont Circle.
Those familiar with commuting in the DC area might also tense up when they realize that robotaxis could soon be navigating the winding, treacherous Rock Creek Parkway, where lane width issues can, ahem, produce some surprise paint swaps for inexperienced drivers or inexperienced robots.
Waymo hasn't specified whether it will launch service strictly in DC, or whether its service range will include parts of Maryland and Virginia that are inside the DC Beltway.
The good news for Waymo's robotaxis in Washington, DC, is that they won't really have to deal with freeway traffic bisecting the city at any central point, unlike in LA, and they won't have to deal with too many bridges, tunnels, or overpasses.
With Waymo now offering over 200,000 driverless rides per week in the US, the company has maintained a measured approach to launches in new cities. And at the moment, it doesn't really even have competitors in the robotaxi field itself—only ride-hailing app drivers and taxis.
Will we see Waymo's robotaxis in northern US cities, including the likes of Chicago or Detroit this decade, or will serious winter weather keep out robotaxis for a while? Let us know what you think in the comments below.