Waymo is expanding its fully autonomous ride-hailing service to include freeways in Austin, marking the first time the company has offered driverless highway trips to the general public in Texas.
The service can be used via the Uber app, and autonomous trips are currently available on several routes, including the MoPac Expressway, Interstate 35, U.S. 183, and U.S. 290. The new feature is being rolled out gradually, so travel on the freeway will initially be available only on certain journeys.
The expansion comes after several months of testing in Austin, which first involved human safety specialists before moving on to fully autonomous journeys for Waymo employees. The company states that it has already completed over 1 million fully autonomous freeway miles driven by riders in various markets, including Phoenix, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Miami.
In March 2025, Waymo started offering rides in Austin via Uber, initially limiting its self-driving cars to above-ground roads; it has since expanded its operations in Texas to other metropolitan areas such as Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio.
As Waymo’s operations in Texas expand, its technology is still coming under public examination after a number of unusual events have involved its autonomous vehicles, such as those in which vehicles met with flooded roads in San Antonio and other traffic-related incidents in Austin and Dallas.
Waymo stated that the introduction of its freeway service in Austin follows the same step-by-step method which it has used in its other markets. The company has not yet stated when fully autonomous freeway rides could be extended to other cities in Texas.
Source: Spectrum News Texas
Author: Michael Lozano
Original Link: https://spectrumlocalnews.com/tx/south-texas-el-paso/news/2026/09/24/waymo-expands-fully-autonomous-freeways-rides-in-austin