Waymos are coming to Chicago — but they’re not driving themselves yet.
The self-driving taxi company is deploying about 10 vehicles in Chicago to start mapping the city’s streets — thus “laying the early groundwork” for future operations here — Waymo said Wednesday.
But for now, the cars will be driven by people. State officials say legislative change is likely needed to give the green light to self-driving cars in Illinois, and Waymo’s Chicago soft launch comes as a battle over the issue is heating up in Springfield.
Chris Bonelli, a spokesperson for Waymo — which is owned by Google parent company Alphabet — said the company had briefed the mayor’s office in Chicago on its plans to start mapping in the city.
The mayor’s office confirmed Waymo had notified the city it would be operating here “in order to map streets formations, record geographical data, and better understand driving conditions.” The company assured the city it would not deploy autonomous vehicles in Chicago yet, the mayor’s office said.
“There is no law or regulatory framework which prohibits any licensed individual from driving in Chicago,” the mayor’s office said in a statement, adding that it “looks forward to engaging with commuters, workers, transit advocates and industry leaders as we pursue constructive dialogue with our partners in Springfield and pursue an equitable path forward.”
Though several legislative attempts last year went nowhere, state lawmakers have filed at least three bills related to autonomous vehicle regulation since January.
One bill, filed by State Rep. Kam Buckner of Chicago, would allow self-driving car pilot programs in Cook County, Sangamon County — where the county seat is Springfield, the state’s capital — and several Illinois counties near St. Louis.
That bill would give the state’s Department of Transportation the authority to regulate the pilot program. After three years, IDOT could then legalize autonomous vehicles statewide.
In a statement about Waymo’s mapping plans this week, Buckner said Chicago was “leading the future of mobility.”
“This progress is a vital step toward safer streets and more accessible transportation for all our neighborhoods,” he said.
Other self-driving car bills have been filed by Democrats State Sen. Michael Hastings, of Frankfort, and State Rep. Edgar González, Jr., of Chicago.
Bonelli said Waymo “strongly supports” legislative efforts to bring self-driving cars to Illinois.
“We are coordinating closely with community leaders and policymakers and believe autonomous technology can strongly support Chicago’s goals for road safety and enhanced accessibility,” the company said Wednesday.
Powerful labor unions are among the constituencies that have signaled early opposition to efforts to legalize autonomous vehicles in Illinois. Waymo may need to assuage their concerns, as well as those related to their vehicles’ safety, before the company secures legislative approval in the Land of Lincoln.
Though Waymo maintains that its cars are significantly safer than those driven by humans, recent high-profile safety incidents have drawn scrutiny from critics.
Federal regulators opened an investigation into the company after one of its vehicles struck a child, who suffered minor injuries, near a school in Santa Monica. And during a massive power outage in San Francisco, Waymo cars froze, blocking intersections when traffic lights went out. A Waymo car also struck and killed a bodega cat in the Bay Area city last fall.
Waymo has defended itself in those incidents, saying in the case of the Santa Monica school incident that the child “suddenly entered the roadway” after which the self-driving car “braked hard” and struck the child at a lower speed than a human driver would have. The company has said it is updating its fleet in response to the power outage incident.
In general, Waymo claims its vehicles are involved in 10 times fewer crashes involving serious injuries and 12 times fewer collisions with pedestrians compared with cars driven by people.
The company touted support from Mothers Against Drunk Driving Illinois on Wednesday. A representative for that organization praised what they described as the promise of self-driving cars to prevent deaths and injuries caused by impaired driving.
Bonelli said that in Chicago, Waymo plans to start mapping primarily east of I-90 from the South Loop to Wrigleyville.
tasoglin@chicagotribune.com
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