Waymo officially launches to the public in San Diego

Waymo announced Tuesday that it’s now open to the public in San Diego.

Thousands of residents who signed up to ride in a Waymo will receive an invite on a rolling basis, the company announced.

Currently, Waymo services 50 square miles spanning Logan Heights to Pacific Beach and from Sunset Cliffs to Normal Heights. See the map below:

“San Diego riders will also be among the first to experience the Ojai, which is Waymo’s newest vehicle equipped with the 6th-generation “Waymo Driver” and is designed to be an oasis on wheels. It features subtle conveniences integrated throughout the car, like larger screens and more back seat legroom,” the company said in a release.

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The autonomous vehicles have already been driving around San Diego, including Hillcrest, but have so far been picking up Waymo employees as the company was training its technology on local streets.

Last month, NBC 7 had the opportunity to ride in a Waymo as it was preparing to be available to the public.

Like other ride-share services, a Waymo vehicle pulls up to pick up its passenger. The major difference is that no one is behind the wheel.

Passengers can start the ride by pressing a button. Although there is no human driver, riders can still ask the robotaxi questions.

The vehicles use cameras that can see up to 500 meters away, according to Waymo. If a ride needs to change, the vehicle can adjust, including finding a place to pull over.

The state of California has given the green light for autonomous vehicles to operate in certain cities, but public opinion remains mixed.

Waymo has also experienced problems as it has rolled out its vehicles in other cities, including vehicles blocking traffic and others entering construction sites.

Waymo Communications Manager Sandy Karp said each experience leads to changes across Waymo’s fleet intended to prevent the same problems from happening again.