“Nashville is buzzing with music, tourism and nightlife, and now Waymo helps connect it all,” said Tekedra Mawakana, co-CEO of Waymo, as the mobility company announced it had launched its first public autonomous ride-hailing service in Nashville, Tennessee.
The initial 60-square-mile service area covers Music City’s most iconic spots, from the honky tonks of Broadway and the boutiques of 12 South to the energy of Midtown and the foodie scene in East Nashville. The company is also testing Nashville International Airport and intends to serve travelers there in the near future.
“As Nashville continues to grow, Waymo is proud to support that momentum by providing a safe, reliable and magical way for locals and visitors to experience everything the city has to offer,” added Mawakana.
Data from over 170 million miles traveled shows that, compared to human drivers, Waymo has achieved a 13-fold reduction in crashes resulting in serious injury or worse, and the same reduction in crashes involving pedestrians.
“As families and businesses move to Tennessee in record numbers, our state continues to lead the nation in finding innovative solutions to transportation challenges,” said Tennessee Governor Bill Lee. “By leveraging private sector technologies like Waymo’s fully autonomous vehicles, we’re expanding mobility in ways we couldn’t achieve on our own and further accelerating economic growth.”
“Waymo is an opportunity for older adults to embrace new technology and new ways of getting around,” said Grace Sutherland Smith, executive director, AgeWell Middle Tennessee. “It’s so important as we grow older to stay connected to the community and transportation is a key to that. We also believe the advance booking feature can help lighten the load on family caregivers who may have to take time off work to drive loved ones to appointments. So we’re excited about Waymo coming to Nashville and being an option for the older adults and caregivers we serve.”
Riders will have more options for accessing Waymo’s autonomous rides. In addition to booking through the Waymo app, rides will also be available via the Lyft app later this year. Lyft will also support fleet management in Nashville through Flexdrive.
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