Waymo Nearly Doubles San Diego Coverage as Driverless Rides Reach La Jolla

Waymo expanded its San Diego driverless footprint to 233 square kilometers on October 28, nearly doubling a service that launched September 1 covering about 130 square kilometers from Logan Heights to Pacific Beach and Sunset Cliffs to Normal Heights. The expansion adds La Jolla, University City, Clairemont, Mission Bay and surrounding areas, including high-traffic destinations such as UC San Diego, the UTC shopping mall and the Veterans Affairs office in La Jolla.

The rollout pace is notable. Access was initially restricted to residents with early sign-up codes, then opened to all users via the app on October 14. Two weeks later, the map nearly doubled. The company also cites a safety claim for the service: 93% fewer pedestrian injury crashes than human drivers, a figure worth watching as independent researchers continue to test robotaxi safety claims against police and insurance data.

For San Diego riders, the practical change is simple: driverless rides now cover the northern business districts, affluent residential areas and university zones that generate much of the city’s daily trip demand. For the industry, San Diego is a template — launch small, open to everyone, then expand fast once the first map proves itself.