Northeast
New York halts robotaxi expansion plan
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New York just hit pause on expanding robotaxis beyond New York City.
Gov. Kathy Hochul has withdrawn her proposal that would have allowed commercial robotaxi services in smaller cities across the state. That means places outside New York City will not see driverless ride services anytime soon.
If you live in Buffalo, Rochester or Albany, that future just got pushed further down the road. Meanwhile, one major player still plans to move forward inside the city.
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New York has paused plans to expand robotaxi service beyond New York City, slowing statewide deployment. (AP Photo/Terry Chea, File)
Waymo moves forward despite New York robotaxi expansion pause
Waymo, the self-driving arm of Alphabet, received its first permit last year to test autonomous vehicles in New York City. However, the permit requires a trained specialist behind the wheel. That testing permit remains in place. So, while statewide expansion is off the table for now, Waymo’s New York City testing program continues. The company already offers paid driverless rides in parts of:
- The San Francisco Bay Area
- Los Angeles
- Phoenix
- Austin
- Atlanta
According to company data and state regulators in Arizona and California, Waymo has logged millions of fully autonomous miles. Arizona transportation officials have reported lower crash rates per mile compared with human drivers in certain operational zones. California’s DMV and Public Utilities Commission continue to monitor safety performance and incident reporting.
The company says it hears from thousands of New Yorkers who have ridden in Waymo vehicles elsewhere and want the service at home. Still, expanding beyond the city now faces a political roadblock.
UBER UNVEILS A NEW ROBOTAXI WITH NO DRIVER BEHIND THE WHEEL
Waymo can continue testing autonomous vehicles in NYC with a trained safety specialist behind the wheel. (Waymo)
Why Hochul pulled the New York robotaxi expansion plan
The governor’s office said support was not there in the state Legislature after conversations with stakeholders. That language matters. Self-driving vehicle rules involve state lawmakers, labor groups, local officials, safety advocates and insurance regulators. Expanding robotaxi services into smaller cities likely raised concerns about:
- Safety oversight
- Liability rules
- Local job impact
- Emergency response coordination
Autonomous vehicle deployment remains under intense scrutiny nationwide. After a high-profile incident involving Cruise in San Francisco in 2023, regulators tightened oversight. Cruise later suspended operations, and General Motors scaled back its robotaxi ambitions. Waymo has not recorded a similar major injury event in public reporting. That distinction has helped it expand in states like Arizona and Texas. Even so, public trust remains fragile.
What this means for you
You might be thinking, “I do not live in New York. Why should I care?” Because state decisions like this often ripple outward. If New York, one of the largest transportation markets in the country, slows expansion outside its biggest city, other states may take note. Lawmakers across the country watch how New York handles new technology.
Here is what this pause signals:
Robotaxi rollouts will stay uneven
Some cities will embrace them quickly. Others will wait for more data and clearer rules.
Politics matter as much as technology
Even if autonomous vehicles prove safer per mile in controlled settings, public policy decides where they operate.
Your city could be next in line
As companies push for expansion in major metros, debates over safety, job liability and infrastructure will follow. If you rely on ride-hailing services, autonomous vehicles could eventually lower costs and increase availability. On the other hand, local drivers and labor groups may push back hard. This tension will play out city by city.
ATLANTA TESTS DRIVERLESS POD TRANSIT LOOP
State lawmakers across the country are watching as New York weighs safety, regulation and the future of driverless rides. (Waymo)
The bigger national picture for robotaxi expansion
Federal agencies like the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration continue to collect crash data and investigate autonomous vehicle performance. However, states control many of the rules governing commercial operations. That means America may not get one unified robotaxi system. Instead, it may look like a patchwork. Phoenix might move fast. Austin might expand aggressively. Buffalo might wait.
In the meantime, companies like Waymo continue refining software using real-world miles and sensor data. The more data they collect, the stronger their safety case becomes. Yet public perception often hinges on a single viral incident. Technology evolves quickly. Regulation moves more slowly.
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Kurt’s key takeaways
New York’s decision is not a death blow to robotaxis. It is a reminder that innovation must pass a political test. Waymo still plans to move forward in New York City. Smaller cities across the state will wait. Other states will watch. The question is no longer whether autonomous vehicles will expand. It is how fast and where.
If driverless cars reduce crashes and improve pedestrian safety, should lawmakers speed up approval? Or should they move cautiously and protect existing systems until every risk is understood? What would you want your city to do? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com.
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A West Yarmouth, Massachusetts man has been charged in connection with a pair of armed bank robberies in Boston last month.
Federal prosecutors say 25-year-old Angel Gonzalez brandished a firearm during the robberies at a Santander Bank branch in Roxbury and a TD Bank branch in Roslindale on April 28. His alleged accomplice, Steven Harris, was charged with armed bank robbery earlier this month and remains in federal custody.
During the first robbery in Roxbury, Gonzalez allegedly dragged an employee from her office to the teller window, held her at gunpoint and threatened shoot her.
Less than two hours later, Gonzalez and Harris allegedly robbed the TD Bank in Roslindale. Prosecutors say Harris moved multiple employees from their offices to the main area of the bank, while Gonzalez threatened to shoot them if they did not comply. Gonzales then allegedly took $3,000 from a teller drawer before they left in a getaway vehicle.
Radek Weirdeowski was inside the Roslindale bank at the time of the robbery, and told WBZ-TV it happened so quickly. “While one guy was at the teller with the gun, the other guy was kind of rounding everyone else up,” he said. “And I thought we would all get robbed as well. But fortunately, they just took the bank’s money and took off.”
Gonzalez is charged with armed bank robbery and is currently in state custody in connection with unrelated offenses. He will make his initial appearance in federal court at a later date.
Pittsburg, PA
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Connecticut
Connecticut State Police respond to NAACP request for more information on 17-year-old boy’s death
WALLINGFORD, Conn. (WTNH) — Connecticut State Police responded to a request from the state NAACP on Friday to provide more information on the death of a 17-year-old boy who allegedly fled the scene of a crash involving a stolen car.
The NAACP held a news conference Friday morning, announcing that they are opening their own investigation into Khasir Jennette’s death.
His body was found in the woods by a dogwalker in Wallingford on Feb. 21, around 9:15 a.m., three weeks after a stolen Acura he was in crashed on Route 15 North in Wallingford.
The NAACP said they want more answers on how investigators searched for the teen after he was reported missing.
At the time of the crash on Feb. 1, around 9:48 p.m., police said there were about 12 to 16 inches of snow on the ground. K-9 units were called to track the area of the Quinnipiac River near the abandoned car around 10:30 p.m., which did not yield any results.
Police received another call at 1:34 a.m. from Jennette’s mother, stating that he was involved in the crash on Route 15 and was in the woods with his friends freezing. She had not seen him since Jan. 31 and provided a description of what he could have been wearing. She also said another mother had called her to say her son was in the woods, as well.
State police released a detailed summary in response, listing the resources deployed in searching for Jennette after he went missing, which included opening a missing persons investigation, distributing the information to social media, and issuing a Silver Alert.
Connecticut State Police stated that many resources were deployed on Sunday night, going into Monday morning, when they found tracks leading through “extreme conditions,” including frozen waterways, embankments, wooden unlighted terrain, brush, sticks and prickers, and into the Amazon property campus locations with solar farms.
State police also said that the Quinnipiac River was not fully frozen and had water flowing under breakable ice. The overnight temperature on the night of Sunday, Feb. 1, was -3 degrees.
Police said they used the following while attempting to locate the boy:
- CSP air 1 unit
- CSP drone unit
- CSP search and rescue K-9 units
- CSP Troop I K09 units
- CSP Troop I patrol units
- Troop G K-9 Units
- Troop G patrol units
- CSP Troop H patrol units
- CSP troop H K-9 units (patrol and bloodhound K-9)
- EMS services
- Wallingford Fire Department thermal imaging
- Wallingford Police Department patrol units
- CSP Central District Major Crimes
- CSP Intelligence and Operations Unit
- CSP Collision, Analysis and Reconstruction Squad
An arrest warrant shows that Jennette was one of the three people in the stolen car at the time of the crash, and that police have arrested at least one person, Khalil Marquis Council, in connection with the theft.
Jennette’s mother stated that she had texted him the day of the crash around 9:30 a.m., which he read but did not reply to. She said that his phone did not have cell service and connected to WiFi when it was available.
State police additionally clarified that a press release was not sent out upon the discovery of Jennette’s body, as “it is standard operating procedure that press releases are not completed
by police departments following unattended death investigations.”
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