NewsFox 5 San Diego & KUSI — Local NewsOctober 27, 2026San Diego County
Waymo expands autonomous taxi service to La Jolla and University of California, San Diego
Photo: Fox 5 San Diego & KUSI — Local News
Waymo expanded its autonomous taxi-hailing service in San Diego to include La Jolla, the University of California, San Diego, the UTC shopping mall, and the Veterans Affairs office on Tuesday. The ride service is now accessible to all users across an expanded map that includes thirteen neighborhoods following an earlier open-access rollout this month. The company also reported safety statistics from data released last month regarding collision rates compared to human drivers.
Read the full story at Fox 5 San Diego & KUSI — Local NewsWhy It Matters
Residents in La Jolla and surrounding San Diego neighborhoods gain public access to driverless taxi-hailing services.
Key Facts
- Waymo expanded its autonomous taxi-hailing service to La Jolla on Tuesday.
- The newly included locations in La Jolla feature the University of California, San Diego, the UTC shopping mall, and the Veterans Affairs office.
- Access to the ride service was previously restricted to users with an early sign-up code before opening to all users earlier this month.
- The active service area covers University City, La Jolla, Clairemont, Mission Bay, Ocean Beach, Sunset Cliffs, Hillcrest, North Park, Balboa Park, South Park, Little Italy, Downtown, and the Gaslamp District.
- Waymo has been spotted test-driving in other San Diego neighborhoods not yet active on the service map.
- Waymo-released safety data from last month indicates its vehicles were involved in 93% fewer pedestrian-involved crashes and 86% fewer bicyclist-involved crashes compared to human drivers.
- Online videos have documented autonomous vehicles getting stuck, blocking traffic, or ignoring road rules during operations.
Who's Mentioned
locationHillcrest“Neighborhood where the ride service is available.”locationMission Bay“Neighborhood where the ride service is available.”locationDowntown“Neighborhood where the ride service is available.”locationClairemont“Neighborhood where the ride service is available.”OrganizationVeterans Affairs“Office location included in the newly expanded service area.”locationSunset Cliffs“Neighborhood where the ride service is available.”locationBalboa Park“Neighborhood where the ride service is available.”OrganizationUniversity of California, San Diego“University location included in the newly expanded service area.”locationLittle Italy“Neighborhood where the ride service is available.”OrganizationWaymo“Autonomous taxi-hailing service expanding its fleet and operating area in San Di”locationUTC“Shopping mall included in the newly expanded service area.”locationOcean Beach“Neighborhood where the ride service is available.”locationNorth Park“Neighborhood where the ride service is available.”locationGaslamp District“Neighborhood where the ride service is available.”locationSouth Park“Neighborhood where the ride service is available.”locationLa Jolla“Neighborhood newly added to Waymo's service area.”locationUniversity City“Neighborhood where the ride service is available.”locationSan Diego“City where Waymo is expanding its autonomous taxi service.”