Driverless cars are now navigating the streets of downtown Detroit. Waymo, a ride-hailing service similar to Uber or Lyft, has launched its fully autonomous test phase as the company prepares for a public launch in the near future.
Waymo operates with no one in the front seat — only the rider in the back. Customers order a car through an app and receive a personal, private autonomous ride.
Detroit will be Waymo's 11th city. The company claims it is 10 times safer than a human driver, with 95% fewer serious or fatal crashes in areas where it operates.
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For months, Waymo vehicles have been in downtown Detroit with humans behind the wheel, helping familiarize the cars with city streets. Now, the next test phase — going fully autonomous — is underway.
We didn't get to see any driverless cars on the streets themselves today, but I have seen many in downtown Detroit in previous months, always with a driver. Now, you may pull up to a stoplight, turn to your right, and see no one in the car next to you.
It's a mixed reaction in downtown Detroit as drivers grapple with the idea of driver less cars navigating the streets.
"I'm a little nervous to say the least," Key Webb said.
"I think it's pretty cool honestly," Travis Spencer said.
"I'm here for it, I'm excited to see cars driving themselves," Thomas Aragona said.
"The new technology and the development is an awesome thing to have down here," Alana Hardin said.
"I'm introverted so I'm going to be loving that, nobody trying to have this meaningless conversation as I'm trying to get to where I'm going," Webb said.
N. Charles Anderson, president and CEO of the Urban League of Detroit and Southeastern Michigan — one of Waymo's community partners — rode in a Waymo this summer in Nashville.
"I had sworn against riding in a self-driving car before that but since we've had some good support of Waymo they offered me a chance to take a ride I said why not, I got in and I was sold," Anderson said.
"I thought about how safe it was compared to some other modes of transportation, particularly for women. Women who ride in an Uber or Lyft who have concerns about your driver, you don't have that concern if you're in a Waymo and there's no driver," Anderson said.
Detroit riders say they're willing to give it a shot.
"With my driving record I definitely need one," Stephanie Berniers said.
"I'm kind of one of those people who want to try it out, maybe not be the first one but I'd like to try it out," Webb said.
"Downtown Detroit, Saturday night, it's crazy down here, I come down here a lot, the Uber situation could be crazy so I think the new edition would help people out a lot," Hardin said.
“Waymo's deployment in Detroit is regulated by the State of Michigan. In advance of Waymo's official launch, the City of Detroit's Office of Mobility Innovation (OMI) has been meeting regularly with the company to understand its overall strategy and to make sure city agencies, including the Detroit Police Department and Detroit Fire Department, are prepared to support a safe and successful deployment. We've also shared lessons learned from Detroit's successful cold-weather autonomous vehicle (AV) pilot and our automated driving system pilot for senior and disabled residents. We're glad to see continued innovation in cold-weather autonomy, an important technology for cities like ours. Waymo's arrival is yet another sign that Detroit is the center of mobility innovation." said Ryan Michael, Deputy Chief of Business Innovation and Emerging Industries, City of Detroit.
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