Waymo riders in the Valley will now be able to go farther into the East Valley after the autonomous taxi company dramatically expanded its service area.
Why it matters: Waymo is a convenient way to get around the sprawling Phoenix metro area, but only in certain parts of town.
The latest: The company announced Thursday that it’s adding 55 square miles of the East Valley to its service area.
- That includes Gilbert and more of Chandler.
- Previously, Waymos didn’t go east of State Route 87.
- And service will soon be expanded to Mesa Gateway Airport.
The big picture: The expansion increases Waymo’s coverage area in the Valley to more than 350 square miles.
- That includes all of Phoenix and Scottsdale between State Route 51 and Loop 101, plus downtown and central Phoenix, Tempe, west Mesa and the western part of Chandler.
Catch up quick: Waymo pulled its cars from Valley freeways earlier this year for a software fix to help the vehicles better navigate construction zones.
- It restored service in late July, and the company tells Axios its new East Valley territory will be accessible by freeway.
Zoom in: Once Sky Harbor, Scottsdale Airpark and Mesa Gateway are all in the service area, the Valley will have more airport access from Waymo than any other city…