Walnut Creek is now part of Waymo's authorized territory for driverless ride-hailing after the California Public Utilities Commission approved a major expansion of the company's operating area on Friday, Aug. 14.
The CPUC decision covers all of Contra Costa County, clearing the way for Waymo's robotaxis to eventually pick up paying passengers on city streets, near Broadway Plaza and around the Walnut Creek BART station. But Waymo has not announced when service will actually begin here.
"While we are excited to receive these permits today, we will not launch in these new cities immediately," a Waymo spokesperson told the San Francisco Standard.
The approval authorizes Waymo to collect fares from passengers riding without a safety driver present. It covers all road types, speed limits and conditions, day and night, including freeways and parking lots. Both Waymo's existing Jaguar I-PACE fleet and its newer Ojai minivan platform are covered.
Before paid rides begin in any new city, Waymo first sends vehicles with human drivers behind the wheel to map and validate the area using cameras, radar, lidar and GPS. No source has confirmed whether that testing has started in Walnut Creek.
Statewide expansion, local wait
The CPUC's action more than triples Waymo's authorized service area around the Bay Area and Los Angeles, spanning 18 counties total, according to AutoConnectedCar. Contra Costa is one of 12 Northern California counties in the new territory.
Waymo spokesperson Sandy Karp said Aug. 14 that the company's near-term focus is launching rider-only service in San Diego in summer 2026 and continuing to validate its technology in Sacramento. Walnut Creek is not among the company's stated near-term priorities.
The company now operates nearly 4,000 autonomous vehicles across 15 U.S. metro areas, up from about 700 in early 2025, according to the New York Times. It provides more than 450,000 weekly paid trips, according to Waymo's CPUC filing, as reported by Folsom Times.
Twenty-nine organizations backed Waymo's original filing, including disability and senior advocacy groups, chambers of commerce and Mothers Against Drunk Driving. Eight additional groups endorsed a May supplement.
The CPUC permit is separate from a California DMV authorization issued Nov. 21, 2025, which allowed Waymo's vehicles to operate on public roads in the expanded territory. The CPUC action adds the authority to charge fares without a human driver present.
@kdlaw: "@Waymo to Walnut Creek! 👏👏👏 Hoping for sooner rather than later."
Kristina Lawson, managing partner at Hanson Bridgett and president of the Medical Board of California, posted that reaction on X on Aug. 14.
No launch date is set. Waymo said on X on Aug. 14 that expansion will be gradual and guided by its safety framework, and that the company plans to keep local officials and residents informed as it moves into new communities.
Residents can download the Waymo app on Android or iOS to check service availability as it rolls out.
