Relates to fully autonomous vehicles

◆ The sponsor's argument

Why Patricia Fahy says this is needed

Over the past several years, fully autonomous vehicles (AVs) have made great strides. In 2018, Waymo launched a pilot in Phoenix, AZ, becoming the first publicly available AV taxi service. Since then, Waymo has expanded its service to San Francisco, Los Angeles, the suburbs of Phoe- nix, as well as Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, and Orlando. With nearly a decade of operation, AVs have a proven track record. A 2024 study examined 7 million miles of Waymo performance in real-world driving situations and found that Waymo vehicles had 80% fewer injury reports as compared to human-operated vehicles. Autonomous vehicles are more than just another option for consumers; they offer unique advan- tages over human- operated taxis. For many people with disabilities, they are more accessible. For example, Waymo offers an app that can be used to locate a car when it arrives, enabling visually impaired people to more easily locate their driver. By authorizing autonomous vehicles to operate in Albany and Rensselaer counties, this legislation will create another option for transportation, one that is safe and accessi- ble.

This is the sponsor's own case for the bill, quoted from their memorandum. It is not Agora's description of what the bill does.