OFF THE RECORD column
Waymo photo of a se;f-driving car.
We all know about Google.
It might be wise to remember the name Waymo.
At first when we heard the word Google, we snickered. What on earth is a Google?
Long before the technology behemoth was born, “Google” was spelled “googol” which is a mathematical term for the number 1 followed by 100 zeros. But in the year 2005, Google as we know it today, changed the world forever.
Such may be the case of another Google product. Waymo, like Google, has many heads being scratched. What the heck is a Waymo?
People in Arizona, California, Texas and Georgia are familiar with Waymo. Illinois, specifically Cook and a few Downstate counties, may be next. When and if that occurs, be on the lookout for a Jaguar taxi or some other fancy car zipping by — with no driver — and a passenger in the back seat. Now, Waymo cars must have a driver while state lawmakers consider legislation addressing safety and a multitude of other concerns. Waymo is a company affiliated with Google.
Waymo cars have been spotted throughout the Chicago area in recent months. This year in February, about a dozen Waymo cars started mapping streets, highways and alleys mostly within the city of Chicago so when a passenger hops in the taxi, all he or she has to say is “Clark and Addison” and they’ll be taken to Wrigley Field, for a price of course. Twenty years ago, Google was mapping every street in the U.S. for its service of providing directions for drivers and for GoogleEarth.
State Rep. Brad Stephens (R-20th), who is also mayor of Rosemont, is in the thick of the debate in Springfield. Earlier this year he introduced a bill to govern the use and existence of autonomous vehicles (AV). The proposal is stuck in the House’s Rules Committee. He is pushing for a pilot program to gauge how a driverless taxi service would operate in congested areas including Rosemont and nearby areas. “My intention is to make it statewide,” said Stephens yesterday (Tuesday). “I’d like to see a pilot program to first see if it works. I think that with some reasonable minds, we could get a pilot program passed rather quickly.”
As mayor, Stephens is always thinking about Rosemont, which is located next to O’Hare Airport where 85 million passengers are served every year. Many will need to take cab rides to get there.
And, said Stephens, “It would be great for conventions” undoubtedly thinking about the village’s Donald E. Stephens Convention Center and McCormack Place in downtown Chicago.
The post Driverless Taxis May Be Just Around The Corner first appeared on Journal & Topics Media Group.
