Waymo’s latest South Bay service expansion, which took effect Nov. 3, now includes the Berryessa Transit Center in East San Jose, the Great Mall, the San Jose Fairgrounds and more of Los Gatos and Monte Sereno, San José Spotlight reported. Company representatives said the addition brings Waymo’s Bay Area service area to 350 square miles, a figure KALW also reported.
Why it matters: The new stops give commuters a first- and last-mile option at a BART and VTA station, but VTA said it has no plans to coordinate with the company, and some riders told Spotlight they remain wary of driverless cars.
Waymo is offering a $2.85 credit to riders who take a Waymo trip and use public transit within two hours of each other, both outlets reported. VTA spokesperson Stacey Ross told Spotlight that, from the transit agency’s perspective, anything that makes it easier for people to get to or from transit “is a help.” A Waymo representative identified as Lewis told the newspaper the company wants “to be a good partner and to help public transit thrive.” A Waymo spokesperson told KALW the company plans to keep expanding in the South Bay and the broader region but has not named the next area.
Spotlight’s interviews were mixed. Cyclist Sridharan S. said he would consider a Waymo trip to Berryessa “as long as it’s safe.” Carl Wilson, who rides BART from South Hayward to East San Jose, said he would rather have a human driver. Lisa Parks said she worries about job losses and does not trust the technology. The newspaper also noted that federal regulators on Nov. 6 opened a query covering 2,895 Waymo vehicles over reports they passed stopped school buses. The Nov. 3 launch follows Waymo’s late-October announcement of a wider South Bay map. Related: the October expansion announcement and NHTSA’s school bus inquiry.