Self-Driving Taxis Being Tested by Google in Manhattan until End of Sept.
This is only a test, and the driverless cars being tested in Manhattan and Brooklyn are required to have a person sitting in the driver’s seat.
| 26 Aug 2025 | 12:32
Driverless taxis are being tested in Manhattan and Brooklyn through the end of September by the Waymo subsidiary of Google. For testing, though, the “driverless” cars must have someone in the driver’s seat. (
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The Waymo division of Google wants to automate your shared vehicle ride in Manhattan; and the company is coming a little closer to that from now until the end of September.
On Aug. 22, New York City Mayor Eric Adams and New York City DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez announced the DOT had granted Waymo its first-ever permit to begin testing a limited number of autonomous vehicles (AV) in parts of Manhattan and Downtown Brooklyn under the nation’s strictest AV safety rules. With more than 10 million rides in five US cities, the company is looking at the NYC market as the next big city to operate in.
You won’t be able to hail driverless cars through your Waymo app; through late September, the eight cars being tested will navigate the streets of Manhattan and Downtown Brooklyn with a trained AV-specialist behind the wheel at all times. New York State law dictates that a test vehicle operator be present at all times and be ready to assume control of the vehicle while the self-driving technology is under test.
Waymo cars with drivers have been available for hire here since July, building on their person-driven cars, which came in 2021 and had been used strictly for testing and data collection. Over the past decade, Waymo research developed a single integrated system of sensors and computers designed to synthesize, giving the independent, driverless vehicle, a comprehensive computerized view of the country’s most dynamic and complex urban environment. Part of this is LIDAR, short for “light detection and ranging.”
The systems, originally developed by NASA to keep track of satellites and distances in space, use pulsed lasers to map a three-dimensional model of an environment
“NYC DOT has put in place comprehensive safety guidelines to ensure safe, responsible testing on our city’s streets,” stated DOT’s Rodriguez. “These requirements will help ensure that the development of this technology is focused, first and foremost, on the safety of everyone who shares our busy city streets.”
As part of their permit to operate within New York City, Waymo is required to coordinate closely with NYC DOT through regular meetings and data reporting and must certify that they are adhering to the industry’s best practices related to cybersecurity. After the pilot testing period, Waymo will have the opportunity to apply for an extension period. Finally, DOT’s approval strictly relates to testing AV technology—the use of autonomous vehicles for for-hire service is currently prohibited by New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) rules, and any company providing for-hire service must comply with TLC rules, including by obtaining a TLC license.
Not everyone is happy with this testing. Straus News contacted Bhairavi Desai, executive director of the New York Taxi Drivers Alliance, the 28,000-member union of yellow cab, Uber, and Lyft drivers.
“We're not ready as a city to contend with the impact of AI on consumers or the environment,” Desai said. “Why is the Mayor expediting Waymo's access to our streets?”
She noted her view of the politics involved: “Big tech figured out that they don't need tech to be ready or even [need] consumer demand. They need wealth and politicians to roll over. Waymo isn't being powered by AI, but by political favor."