Are robotaxis coming to Santa Cruz County? Sort of

"The California Department of Motor Vehicles has given autonomous vehicle company Waymo the green light to pursue expanded operations in Southern California and the Bay Area, including within a slice of territory in the Lexington Hills near Los Gatos that overlaps unincorporated Santa Cruz and Santa Clara counties. The DMV may have provided its approval for Waymo's expansion, but the autonomous vehicle company will also need to receive the go-ahead from the California Public Utilities Commission prior to launching commercial passenger service in the new areas."

""We appreciate the DMV's approval of our expanded fully autonomous operations. We're proud to provide over one million safe, reliable, magical rides every month in San Francisco and Los Angeles, and we're looking forward to opening our service to more Californians," a Waymo spokesperson told the Sentinel in a statement. "Our next stop in the Golden State will be San Diego, where we'll welcome our first riders in mid-2026." As Waymo alluded to in its statement, a DMV spokesperson told the Sentinel the company had indicated it does not intend to begin operating commercially in the expanded areas before May 1 of next year."

The California Department of Motor Vehicles approved Waymo to expand fully autonomous operations in Southern California and the Bay Area, including Lexington Hills near Los Gatos that overlaps unincorporated Santa Cruz and Santa Clara counties. Waymo reported providing over one million monthly rides in San Francisco and Los Angeles and plans to launch in San Diego in mid-2026. The company still requires California Public Utilities Commission approval before launching commercial passenger service in the newly approved areas. A DMV spokesperson said Waymo indicated it does not intend to begin commercial operations in the expansion before May 1 next year. Santa Cruz County officials said the county lacks permitting authority and does not regulate autonomous vehicle operations; no infrastructure changes or county permits would be required, and no other driverless companies were known to have approval within the county.

Read at The Mercury News