Waymo
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After months of testing, driverless rideshare company Waymo is carrying Dallas passengers in fully autonomous vehicles for the first time this week.
Going back as far as November, people in and around downtown Dallas have surely noticed the white sedans bedecked with an array of sensors and cameras making their way around, albeit with a human behind the wheel. Waymo also began fully autonomous services in Houston, San Antonio and Orlando on Tuesday.
“Waymo is serving more riders than ever, as we are on track to serve over one million rides per week by the end of this year,” Tekedra Mawakana, Waymo co-CEO, said in a Feb. 24 statement. “Dallas, Houston, San Antonio and Orlando are critical to our plans, as we lay groundwork for service in 20+ cities. Each community has its own unique charm and transportation needs, and we’re eager to provide a safe, reliable, and magical way for locals and visitors to travel.”
According to a coverage map on Waymo’s website, the cars won’t service the entire city, but they do come pretty close. From as far north as Loop 12 above University Park to the Bishop Arts District on the southern edge of town, riders can board a self-driving vehicle via the Waymo app.
The driverless vehicle industry has enjoyed better times in Dallas over the past year than it did just a few years back. Things didn’t go so well for GM’s Cruise “robo taxi,” which stopped operating in 2023 after severe accidents in other cities grabbed headlines, leading to the company’s license being suspended and its investigation by federal authorities. Avride, an Uber partner, has been testing its autonomous vehicles with people in the cars in Dallas since 2025 without any high-profile incidents.
Waymo has had better luck thus far, however. Waymo began fully autonomous ride-hailing in Austin in March 2025, and you can’t walk a city block near the Texas Capitol without seeing a handful of them buzzing around. Although Waymo cars in Austin have garnered headlines in recent years for less-than-desirable reasons, the overall statistics are favorable when it comes to driverless taxi safety.
“Roadway safety for all Texans is quite simply one of the most important issues today,” Michael Daley, the Texas regional executive director for Mothers Against Drunk Driving, told the Observer in November. “Autonomous vehicles hold the exciting promise of preventing deaths and injuries caused by behavioral factors, including impaired driving, which contribute to the overwhelming majority of serious and fatal crashes in the U.S.”
Even Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson had a few kind words for Waymo’s future in the company’s Tuesday statement.
“Dallas is excited for Waymo to launch operations in our city, providing Dallas residents and visitors with new, innovative transportation options,” Johnson said. “The availability of Waymo’s fully autonomous ride service further cements Dallas’s reputation as one of America’s most innovative and dynamic cities. Together, we are putting public safety first while building a more connected city.”
