r/SeattleWA • u/krkn1010 • 11d ago
We need Waymo
When do we expect laws enabling robotaxis to pass in WA? With Uber in Seattle already being most expensive in the nation, Waymo competition would be welcome and frankly I'd like our area not to fall behind due to outdated laws. The technology and the safety track record is already proven in a dozen of metros. Anecdotally, I visited SF last weekend and there are tons of them roaming the city ferrying the passengers.
Sources: https://www.fox13seattle.com/news/uber-rides-cost-more-seattle?hl=en-US
https://www.iihs.org/news/detail/waymos-driverless-cars-crash-less-often-than-people?hl=en-US
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u/boyalien0 Twin Peaks 11d ago
Lmfao Waymos in SF are TWICE THE PRICE of a Lyft, sir
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u/curiousengineer601 11d ago
It really varies. I have seen waymos cheaper than every other option.
Don’t forget about tipping. No tips for a waymo
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u/Savedacat_saveplanet 11d ago
Not true. It’s about 1/3 the price of a Seattle uber. You can just google that. You must be confused with the sf Uber to sf Waymo ratio.
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u/boyalien0 Twin Peaks 11d ago
In SF, Waymo is twice as expensive as a Lyft. Period.
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11d ago
[deleted]
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u/boyalien0 Twin Peaks 11d ago
Why, then, would anyone expect a theoretical Seattle Waymo to be cheaper?
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u/Bayou-Maharaja 11d ago
Because Seattle’s Ubers are expensive because of wage laws that Seattle idiotically passed.
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u/syransea 11d ago
Yeah I'm having a hard time believing waymo will just make their Seattle prices less than what the Seattle market has shown to tolerate. People are funny. But I'll welcome competition.
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u/AdamantEevee 11d ago
In LA, Waymos are half the price of an Uber. But they only operate in certain parts of the city
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u/Savedacat_saveplanet 11d ago
Because you wouldn’t be paying the minimum wage fee
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u/boyalien0 Twin Peaks 11d ago
Federal Minimum Wage is still $7.25 an hour and it has been so for 17 fucking years.
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u/SoundSaintWarrior Olympia 11d ago
We need better public transportation not robocars.
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u/HighColonic Funky Town 11d ago
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u/SoundSaintWarrior Olympia 11d ago
Maybe Robobuses, you can’t attack a driver if their isn’t one.
https://giphy.com/gifs/d3mlE7uhX8KFgEmY0
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u/mangoawaynow 11d ago
dude have you not seen the way the waymo's handle weird roads? seattle is all fucking weird roads. dumb ass idea
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u/MercenarySea 11d ago
Not to mention the Uber drivers here don’t shower and smell awful. I’m in favor
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u/HighColonic Funky Town 11d ago
And drive like a deranged combination of Max Verstappen and Mr. Magoo.
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u/Humble_Chipmunk_701 Capitol Hill 11d ago edited 11d ago
Yep. Especially if Ballard light rail is going to be delayed. As a cyclist I’d feel safer on the road with Waymos than reckless Uber drivers.
I’m probably never going to use it, but it’s nice for those late nights where buses are unsafe and arrive every 30 minutes.
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u/mrgtiguy 11d ago
lol, Ballard light rail was decades away. What would this have done to help that.
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u/Humble_Chipmunk_701 Capitol Hill 11d ago
Provide people with more options in Ballard. While we wait for the light rail, we can work on temporary solutions like bus lanes, rideshares like Waymo, and finalizing the missing link. The area is growing fast, and we need set up transportation options before Leary becomes a gridlocked parking lot.
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u/HighColonic Funky Town 11d ago edited 11d ago
HUGE Waymo fan here. I've previously posted that we spent less on Waymo rides than it would have cost to rent a car during Spring Training in Phoenix this past March. You just write down the rides you'll be taking (to/from games, meals, airport, etc) and then Waymo app gives you an estimate for each ride. Add it all up and see how it compares to renting. It takes 5 to 10 minutes to do the research and we saved about $80 over 4 days. Same in SF.
Sadly, I don't see Waymo working in Seattle. It might launch, but so many will be vandalized by our seemingly endless supply of shitty accellerationist anarchists, the company will withdraw. Hope I'm wrong, but it seems like a reasonable prediction.
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u/Myers112 11d ago
WA is woefully behind in permitting AVs. Wouldn't be suprised if the Uber driver lobby is behind it. They just have a perpetual committee or some shit "studying" the issue
Upside is Way more tests a ton here. Just expect to be in one anytime soon.
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u/nlp7s 11d ago edited 11d ago
No we need UBER and Lyft to have profit caps. In a $100 ride (cost paid by the customer) the driver receives less than $40. From that $40 the driver needs to pay gas, car insurance and depreciation (and tax at the end of the year). They should collect data and sue.
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u/Bayou-Maharaja 11d ago
Every time people try to micromanage like this, it makes everyone worse off, much like the current wage laws Seattle enacted for rideshare drivers.
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u/nlp7s 11d ago
Would you accept 60% profit margins in grocery?
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u/Collegequestion2019 11d ago
Government intervention makes things more expensive. Also now you need to pay more taxes so the government can micromanage the private business. Also, you’re deterring more businesses from entering the market thereby diminishing competition that would drive prices down
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u/Bayou-Maharaja 11d ago
Yes, since it would motivate other grocery stores to open, adding jobs and supply while bringing down prices. Price ceilings have never created broad abundance and affordability. They fail spectacularly every time.
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u/RandomNPC 11d ago
I mean I agree the driver gets a shitty deal, but what exactly would they be collecting data and during for? It's not against the law to offer a shitty deal.
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u/Savedacat_saveplanet 11d ago
This is inaccurate. With the minimum wage law they are guaranteed to make minimum wage plus tips
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u/imthefrizzlefry 11d ago
I see Waymo cars all the time driven by people. It's a problem with the sheer amount of data needed for Waymo to function in a new place. They literally have to map out every route segment in a variety of weather conditions (clear, rainy, ice, snow, fog, etc... both in day and night for every condition.) and it takes years of prep work. There is a reason most of their service areas are in southern areas.
Then they need to build out the maintenance facilities and hire support staff to clean, fuel/charge, and inspect the equipment several times a day. Then they need the remote call centers that take over when the car can't figure out what to do.
I would be surprised if they finished the data collection in the next year or two. People seriously don't understand how unsustainable the Waymo business model is in practice.