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Tampa, FL - Tampa residents can now request fully autonomous rides as Waymo begins accepting public passengers across the city.
Waymo launched its driverless ride service in Tampa on Tuesday, allowing selected residents to book trips through the company’s app.
The initial operating area covers 50 square miles.
It extends from Hyde Park north to Temple Crest and from Westshore east to Highland Pines.
Passengers with access can enter a pickup point and destination in the Waymo app.
The vehicle then completes the trip without a human driver behind the wheel.
Service is being introduced gradually rather than becoming available to every resident immediately.
Interested riders can download the app and register for access. Waymo said it will invite additional customers as operations expand.
Tens of thousands of people in each of the company’s newest markets had already expressed interest before the public rollout, according to Waymo.
The Tampa launch followed several months of mapping, road testing and employee-only trips.
Waymo previously announced plans to begin fully autonomous operations in Tampa, Denver, San Diego and Las Vegas.
Public rides started in Tampa, Denver and San Diego on the same day, bringing the number of cities where Waymo provides fully autonomous passenger service to 14.
The Alphabet-owned company also operates in markets including Miami, Orlando, Phoenix, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Dallas, Houston and Nashville. Its vehicles provide rides through Uber in Austin and Atlanta.
Waymo vehicles use cameras, radar, lidar and onboard computers to monitor traffic, pedestrians, cyclists and road conditions.
The company has not announced when Tampa service will become available to everyone or when the operating area will expand.