Waymo launched two new “road trips” in Philadelphia and New York City on Monday. The Alphabet-owned company is expanding its autonomous vehicle testing to Northeastern cities.
The Philadelphia rollout will cover complex areas—downtown, freeways, North Central, Eastwick, University City, and near the Delaware River. Waymo plans vehicles driving “at all hours” across these neighborhoods.
In NYC, Waymo will manually drive cars from north of Central Park down to The Battery, including Downtown Brooklyn. It will also map parts of Jersey City and Hoboken, New Jersey. 
Waymo applied last month for a permit to test autonomous vehicles in NYC with human safety drivers but hasn’t secured approval yet.
This is not Waymo’s first NYC trip. The company deployed vehicles in late 2021 in Manhattan and New Jersey and tested winter driving in Buffalo this past winter.
Waymo spokesperson stated:
“Folks will see Waymo vehicles driving at all hours throughout various Philadelphia neighborhoods, from North Central to Eastwick, University City, and as far east as the Delaware River.”
NYC’s current rules block fully driverless operations, but Waymo is pushing for regulatory changes. Commercial deployment is likely years away even if testing gets approved.
Waymo’s road trips have led to commercial launches before. In 2023, the company drove from Santa Monica to Los Angeles neighborhoods like Beverly Hills and Hollywood, now offering full robotaxi service there.
Today’s expansion is part of Waymo’s wider presence. Its commercial robotaxi services already run in Atlanta, Austin, the Bay Area, Los Angeles, and Phoenix. Miami is planned for later this year. Washington, D.C. is set for 2026.
