[AutonomousVehicles] Waymo Relaunch in San Antonio Update

[pmdonahue2 at gmail.com]

Good evening everyone,

 

                Please find below an updated message concerning Waymo's
relaunch in San Antonio Texas. In addition I queried Gemini concerning some
issues recently discussed in The Braille Monitor concerning in-cabin
accessibility. I would hope that the accessibility features now included in
the Ojai also come to the Jaguar IPace. Here is the updated information:

Waymo San Antonio Relaunch Update

WAYMO CUSTOMER OPERATIONS & RIDERSHIP sSERVICES

San Antonio Service Relaunch, Freeway Operations, and Expansion Roadmap

Official Policy Response, Timeline Milestones, Public Web Accessibility
Commitments, and Fleet Vehicle Specifications


Direct Message to our San Antonio Community:

We hear you clearly: 'Soon' is not an acceptable timeline, and generic
app-only status updates do not provide the transparency, predictability, or
accessibility our riders-especially members of the blind and low-vision
community who depend on autonomous mobility for daily independence-deserve.
We apologize for the extended pause, mixed messaging, and lack of public web
reporting following the April weather incident. This document provides
concrete milestone dates, detailed geographic expansion plans for Stone Oak
and Medina Base, our freeway integration schedule, vehicle fleet type
specifications, larger group passenger guidelines, and immediate web
accessibility reforms.

 

1. Comprehensive Incident Review & Root-Cause Corrective Actions

The April 2026 Weather Incident: In April 2026, an autonomous test vehicle
encountered rapid flash flooding at an unmarked low-water crossing during a
severe thunderstorm event in the San Antonio area. While no passengers were
on board and no injuries occurred, the Waymo Driver's automated terrain
perception and hydrological threshold parameters did not initiate early
rerouting quickly enough before rising water compromised wheel traction. In
response, Waymo enacted an immediate operational stand-down across the Alamo
City territory.

Corrective Safety Systems Implemented: San Antonio presents a unique
hydrological landscape with extensive low-water crossings, concrete drainage
basins, and localized flash flood zones. Rather than applying a superficial
patch, our engineering and safety teams conducted a comprehensive overhaul
of the Waymo Driver's environmental sensing stack. Key enhancements
completed during the pause include:

Hyper-Local Flood & Standing Water Detection: Enhanced 5th-Generation and
6th-Generation lidar and camera optical depth algorithms capable of
accurately measuring standing water depth, flow velocity, and submerged road
markings up to 100 meters ahead.

Direct Integration with Bexar County Flood Warning System: Real-time
telemetry connection to San Antonio River Authority (SARA) and Bexar Flood
emergency sensor nodes, enabling preemptive geo-fencing and route exclusion
hours before visual flooding occurs.

Fail-Safe Safe Stop & U-Turn Protocols: Autonomous vehicle programming that
executes a safe multi-point turnaround or elevated curb pull-over upon
detecting water depths exceeding 3 inches, completely eliminating low-water
crossing hazards.

2. Definitive Projected Relaunch Timeline for San Antonio

Milestone Schedule (No More Ambiguity): We acknowledge the frustration
caused by previous 'coming soon' statements and premature app reopenings in
May. Below is our binding operational schedule for resuming public
commercial rider operations across San Antonio:


Phase & Milestone

Target Date / Window

Operational Scope & Service Coverage


Phase 1: Closed-Fleet Calibration

September 15 - October 15, 2026

Autonomous testing with Waymo safety specialists and telemetry mapping
vehicles across Central San Antonio, Pearl District, Downtown, and
Southtown.


Phase 2: Trusted Tester Program Relaunch

October 20, 2026

Invitation of community testers-with dedicated slots for accessibility
advocates, blind and low-vision riders-to resume free autonomous daily trips
in the core zone.


Phase 3: Full Public Commercial Relaunch

November 18, 2026

24/7 fully autonomous commercial service opens to all users via the Waymo
One app across the initial 45 sq. mile San Antonio operating territory.


Phase 4: North & Southwest Expansion (Stone Oak & Medina Base)

Q1 2027
(January - March 2027)

Commercial territory expansion encompassing Stone Oak corridor, Port San
Antonio, Medina Base area, and medical hub destinations.


Phase 5: Full Commercial Freeway Access

April 2027

Autonomous high-speed highway routing without safety drivers along I-10,
Loop 410, Loop 1604, and US-281.

 

3. Detailed Territory Expansions: Stone Oak and Medina Base Corridors

Strategic Priority Areas: San Antonio riders have rightfully emphasized that
suburban and employment centers require autonomous access just as much as
urban downtown cores. Our Phase 4 expansion directly addresses these
critical corridors:

Stone Oak & North Central San Antonio: Coverage expanding along the US-281
North and Loop 1604 corridor. Key served destinations will include North
Central Baptist Hospital, Methodist Hospital Stone Oak, Canyon Golf Road
residential neighborhoods, and major retail hubs at Village at Stone Oak.
Mapping vehicles begin active high-definition scanning in December 2026.

Medina Base Road, Lackland Corridor & Port San Antonio: Dedicated coverage
encompassing the Medina Base Road corridor, Port San Antonio innovation
campus (Boeing Center at Tech Port), and connections to Southwest Military
Drive. This expansion delivers vital transit independence to tech workers,
military personnel, and south-side residential communities.

Medical Center & University Corridor Integration: Seamless routing between
the South Texas Medical Center, UT Health San Antonio, and UTSA Main Campus.

4. San Antonio as Texas's First Autonomous Freeway Testing & Commercial Hub

Highway Integration Commitment: We share your objective of bringing
high-speed highway routing to Texas, matching what we have achieved across
our expansive service territories in Phoenix (including Sky Harbor Airport
freeway connections), the San Francisco Bay Area, and Los Angeles.

Freeway Execution Plan: San Antonio will be the first city in Texas where
Waymo deploys fully driverless freeway operations. Navigating the expansive
Alamo City geography requires high-speed connections across arterial loops.
Our phased freeway roadmap includes:

1. High-Speed Sensor & Merge Validation: Closed-loop autonomous testing on
I-10 West (McDermott Freeway), Loop 410 (Connally Loop), and US-281 during
off-peak hours beginning November 2026.

2. Loop 1604 & Express Connector Mapping: Integration of active construction
zones, managed lane entries, and complex flyover interchanges (e.g., Loop
1604 at US-281 and I-10 Interchange).

3. Commercial Passenger Highway Routing (Target: April 2027): Eliminating
surface-street-only detours, cutting travel times by up to 45% between
Downtown, Stone Oak, San Antonio International Airport (SAT), and Medina
Base / Port San Antonio.

5. Vehicle Fleet Types, Passenger Capacity, and Group Travel Guidelines

Fleet Deployment & Vehicle Specifications: To ensure reliable, safe, and
comfortable transportation across San Antonio's diverse urban and suburban
terrain, Waymo is structuring its vehicle fleet with specific platforms
tailored to passenger volume, accessibility requirements, and hardware
generations.


Vehicle Platform

Hardware Gen

Seating Capacity

Status in San Antonio Relaunch


Jaguar I-PACE

5th-Generation

Up to 4 Passengers
(1 Front, 3 Rear)

Primary launch vehicle for Phase 1-3 relaunch in San Antonio.


Waymo Ojai / Zeekr Platform

6th-Generation

Up to 4 Passengers
(1 Front, 3 Rear)

Under active calibration & progressive fleet integration.


Hyundai IONIQ 5

6th-Generation

Up to 4 Passengers
(1 Front, 3 Rear)

Next-generation all-electric platform entering testing & integration.

 

Vehicle Details & Seating Clarifications:

Jaguar I-PACE Capacity (Strict 4-Passenger Limit): The fully electric Jaguar
I-PACE seats a maximum of 4 passengers (1 passenger in the front passenger
seat, and up to 3 passengers in the rear bench). The driver seat and
steering column area are strictly reserved for autonomous hardware controls
and safety telemetry; seating in the driver's position is prohibited.

The Waymo Ojai (Zeekr Purpose-Built EV Platform): The purpose-built
6th-Generation Waymo vehicle (developed on the Geely/Zeekr SEA-M platform,
known as the Waymo Ojai) features an ultra-low step-in height, flat floor,
and sliding coach doors optimized for accessibility. While exceptionally
roomy with best-in-class legroom and headroom, the standard commercial
configuration utilizes a 2+3 layout where the driver seat is unoccupied,
resulting in a strict maximum capacity of 4 adult passengers (1 front
passenger, 3 rear).

Hyundai IONIQ 5 Platform: Waymo's multi-year partnership with Hyundai
introduces the IONIQ 5 with 6th-Generation autonomous hardware into
commercial testing and gradual deployment. Configured as a purpose-built
robotaxi, passenger occupancy is officially rated for up to 4 riders.

Accommodating Parties of More Than 4 Passengers (e.g., Groups of 5 or More):

Because all current and near-term Waymo commercial vehicles (Jaguar I-PACE,
Waymo Ojai / Zeekr, and Hyundai IONIQ 5) are certified for a maximum of 4
passengers per vehicle to strictly comply with safety regulations and
sensor/weight calibration limits, parties larger than 4 riders (such as a
group traveling with friends and family totaling 5 or more individuals) must
utilize coordinated multiple-vehicle booking.

Multi-Vehicle Booking Feature in Waymo One: The Waymo One application allows
riders to request two vehicles simultaneously to the same pickup location,
enabling seamless split-party travel that arrives together at the
destination.

Future High-Capacity Shuttle Studies: Waymo continues to research
high-capacity multi-passenger platforms (6+ passenger shuttles) for future
public transit and micro-transit integration.

6. Web Transparency, Service Status Visibility, and Blind Accessibility

Accessibility & Information Transparency Reform: Waymo was founded on the
vision of self-driving technology empowering individuals who cannot drive,
including people who are blind or low vision. We acknowledge our failure in
restricting real-time service status solely to the mobile app and failing to
maintain accessible, transparent status information on our public website.

Concrete Commitments: Effective September 1, 2026, Waymo is instituting the
following accessibility and communication protocols:

Public Service Status & Relaunch Webpage: Real-time operational status,
weather hold alerts, active operating boundary maps, and relaunch milestone
dates will be maintained at waymo.com/san-antonio and waymo.com/status.

Full Screen Reader Accessibility (WCAG 2.1 AA Compliant): All online
interactive maps, service status banners, and milestone announcements are
coded with robust ARIA landmarks, alt-text descriptions, and structured text
summaries for JAWS, NVDA, VoiceOver, and TalkBack users.

Direct Community Advisory Sessions: Waymo's Accessibility Operations Team
will host quarterly virtual briefings and in-person vehicle tactile
orientation sessions in San Antonio starting October 2026, allowing blind
and low-vision riders to experience the in-cabin audio cues, Braille
controls, and exterior locator chimes before commercial launch.

Automated SMS/Email Milestone Alerts: Riders can subscribe to text or email
notifications for territory openings and freeway availability without having
to repeatedly check the mobile application.

Autonomous Vehicle Safety & Community Engagement In-Cabin Accessibility:
Hands-Free Voice Commands & Speech Output

Waymo is actively rolling out voice control and conversational audio output
to make in-cabin interactions fully accessible: 

remio AI

*	Voice Controls & Conversational Interface: Waymo integrates
conversational voice control (powered by Google Gemini) inside its
next-generation vehicles (such as the Waymo Ojai). Riders can tap a physical
button/screen prompt to speak naturally and adjust cabin climate, manage
music, check trip progress, or request ride information hands-free without
navigating visual screen menus. 

remio AI

*	Screen Reader & Audio Prompts: In addition to the mobile app's
compatibility with TalkBack (Android) and VoiceOver (iOS), in-vehicle
displays provide audible trip announcements, turn-by-turn auditory cues, and
spoken safety confirmations.
*	Tactile & Redundant Physical Controls: Vehicles are equipped with
embedded Braille labels and physical buttons (such as "Pull Over," "Contact
Support," and "Unlock/Lock") so that riders who are blind or low vision do
not need to rely solely on touch screens to operate essential vehicle
functions. 

remio AI

Web-Based Booking via Desktop Browsers

*	Current Architecture (Mobile App Only): At present, Waymo One ride
booking is strictly mobile-based (via iOS and Android) to ensure real-time
device telemetry, precise GPS proximity matching for curb pickup, vehicle
door unlocking via Bluetooth/UWB, and continuous safety tracking. 

Gizmodo

*	Web Commitments vs. Web Booking: While Waymo's updated accessibility
initiative brings full WCAG 2.1 AA compliance, live service territory maps,
and real-time status alerts to public web browsers
([waymo.com/status](https://waymo.com/status)), on-demand and scheduled ride
booking remains app-exclusive.
*	Scheduled Rides & Alternatives: If you prefer scheduling a trip in
advance, the Waymo One mobile app supports scheduled reservations.
Additionally, where Waymo is integrated as an autonomous fleet option on
third-party platforms (like Uber), rides can occasionally be coordinated via
those platforms' broader booking tools depending on regional availability.
*	Sincerely,
*	Waymo Customer Operat                            ions & Ridership
Experience Team
*	Waymo LLC |

 

Peter Donahue

 

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