New York Governor Kathy Hochul plans to introduce legislation that would effectively legalize robotics in the state — except for its most populous metropolis: New York City.
Hochul, who made the comments Tuesday during his State of the State address, said the legislation would advance the next phase of the state’s autonomous vehicle pilot program.
Information about the proposed legislation and when it might be released is thin. However, there are some hints contained in a document that outlines a series of proposals and promises Hochul made in his State of the State address.
Among them is language to expand the state’s existing AV pilot program to allow “the limited deployment of commercial for-hire autonomous passenger vehicles outside of New York City.”
The document goes on to say that companies wishing to operate robotaxi services commercially will need to submit applications that “demonstrate local support for AV deployment and adherence to the highest possible safety standards.”
It is not clear what “limited deployment” or “highest possible security standards” means. The document also does not outline how the state will track or make judgments about a company’s safety record, except that multiple agencies will be involved, including the Department of Motor Vehicles, the Department of Transportation and the New York State Police.
The governor’s office told TechCrunch that more will be shared in the governor’s executive budget proposal, set to be released on January 20.
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Still, the remarks were enough of an opening to make Alphabet-owned Waymo cheer.
“Governor Hochul’s proposal to legalize fully autonomous vehicles is a transformative moment for New York’s transportation system,” Justin Kintz, Waymo’s head of global public policy, said in an emailed statement.
“With the governor’s leadership, New York has the opportunity to pair its investments in slower speeds, better traffic enforcement and first-in-the-nation congestion management strategies with Waymo’s demonstrably safe technology, creating a future where it’s safer, easier and more accessible to live in New York. We’re ready to work with leaders around the state to make this new future, investment and infrastructure a reality, investment State,” Kintz said.
Waymo and other companies have tried for years to enter New York state with limited success. Current New York state law requires drivers to keep one hand on the wheel at all times. That poses a problem for robot taxi operators like Waymo, since no human is behind the wheel — if there is a wheel at all.
The state’s AV pilot program has granted an exception to this rule, theoretically allowing companies to develop and test autonomous vehicles in the state.
Still, there are significant obstacles, especially in New York City. Last August, city officials gave Waymo permission to test its robot axis in the densely populated city. Under this permit, Waymo can deploy up to eight of its Jaguar I-Pace vehicles in Manhattan and Downtown Brooklyn with a human safety operator behind the wheel. A Waymo spokesperson told TechCrunch that the permit has been extended until March 31.
Even with the permit, Waymo cannot carry passengers or operate a commercial robot taxi service without obtaining separate licenses from the city’s Taxi and Limousine Commission.
And while legislation was introduced last year to create a framework for driverless operation, it has languished in the state Senate Transportation Committee. The governor’s proposal could help loosen that bottleneck.