Waymo lobbyists had a busy 2024.
A recent review of lobbyist disclosure data by the San Francisco Examiner revealed Waymo paid lobbyists to meet with San Francisco government officials 348 times last year, more than double the 137 times it reported in 2023.
The pop in lobbyist activity is in sync with Waymo’s expansion in San Francisco — and its ambitions for the larger Bay Area. Waymo has had a presence in the San Francisco area since 2009, but it wasn’t until August 2023 that the company was able to charge customers — 24 hours a day and throughout the city — for rides in its fleet of self-driving Jaguar I-Pace vehicles.
Since then, Waymo has expanded its footprint and the number of customers it serves. Waymo dumped its waitlist last June for its San Francisco robotaxi service, removing the final obstacle for customers keen to use the self-driving technology. Last year, the company expanded its coverage area by another 10 square miles to include Bay Area cities and began testing driverless vehicles on SF freeways.
Waymo also wants to be able to pick up and drop off customers at the San Francisco Airport, as TechCrunch reported last July; lobbyist disclosure data separately shows an uptick in visits with airport authority officials.
