US EditionNew York Governor Hochul Pulls Robotaxi Expansion Proposal
Governor Hochul withdrew the robotaxi legalization plan citing insufficient support and restrictive conditions that limited autonomous vehicle deployment outside NYC.
- On Feb. 19, 2026, New York Governor Kathy Hochul withdrew a proposal to legalize commercial robotaxis outside New York City, the governor’s office confirmed.
- Hochul had included the measure in her budget last month, but conversations with stakeholders and lawmakers showed insufficient support, Butler said.
- The proposal barred for-hire robotaxis in cities with more than 1,000,000 residents and required approval from the state transportation commissioner, a $1 million fee, and proof of financial security of at least $5 million.
- Waymo faces a setback to its 2026 expansion plans, including its goal of more than 1 million weekly rides, as Alphabet Inc.'s shares briefly fell 1% and Tesla Inc.'s fell 1.8%; New York City testing permits remain unaffected.
- Amid safety incidents and union opposition, Waymo said it will work with the State Legislature, while Bhairavi Desai stated `Waymo thinks by targeting Buffalo and Rochester it can divide and conquer our driver-led movement`.
30 Articles
30 Articles
NY Gov. Hochul nixes plans for Waymo expansion
Waymo just can’t seem to catch a … brake. The Google subsidiary took a strategic hit on Thursday when New York Gov. Kathy Hochul withdrew her proposal for robotaxi services in the areas surrounding New York City. The proposal drew pushback from transit workers and rideshare drivers, in an ironic moment reminiscent of the early days of Uber. The support just wasn’t there, according to the governor’s spokesperson.The news doesn’t affect testing in…
New York Pulls Back on Robotaxi Legislation - CleanTechnica
New York was looking to open up robotaxi expansion in the state, beyond New York City itself. New York Governor Kathy Hochul had put a proposal on the table to basically legalize robotaxis in the state beyond the Big Apple. However, that proposal has now been pulled. “Based on conversations ... [continued] The post New York Pulls Back on Robotaxi Legislation appeared first on CleanTechnica.
NY governor drops unsupervised autonomous vehicle proposal days after Waymo announced plans to expand
Waymo's NY robotaxi plan falls through after Gov. Hochul drops proposal to legalize unsupervised robotaxis.Patrick T. Fallon / AFP via Getty ImagesWaymo's New York robotaxi dreams are on hold as Gov. Kathy Hochul drops an uncrewed robotaxi proposal.The proposal would have allowed robotaxis to run outside NYC, with local government approval.The blow came days after Waymo raised $16 billion to fund plans to expand to 20 more cities.The autonomous …
Hochul drops robotaxi expansion plan outside NYC in setback for Waymo
NEW YORK (VINnews) — Gov. Kathy Hochul has dropped a proposal that would have cleared the way for limited commercial robotaxi operations outside New York City, halting a potential expansion for autonomous vehicle companies in the state. Her office said the plan did not have enough backing in the Legislature to advance. The reversal does […]
Hochul suddenly rolls back Waymo expansion plan that drew fury from taxi drivers, unions
Gov. Kathy Hochul is rolling back on a proposal that would have allowed autonomous vehicle companies like Waymo to start experimenting with their tech in upstate cities following retaliation from groups representing rideshare and taxi drivers.
Hochul backpedals on self-driving car pilot outside NYC after driver group outcry
Gov. Kathy Hochul reversed course on her State of the State proposal to establish a pilot program testing for-hire self-driving cars in municipalities outside of New York City, her office confirmed on Thursday. Hochul's shift in gears on her proposal to test Waymo self-driving cars on upstate streets came after to strong backlash from for-hire vehicle driver groups and safe streets advocates. The change was made official in her 30-day amendments…
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