For the first time ever, riders in Dallas are now able to summon a totally empty robotaxi and take it for a ride.

Waymo, an Alphabet-owned robotaxi company based in Mountain View, California, announced today that “select riders” who have downloaded the Waymo app will receive an invitation to take their first local rides today in Dallas—as well as in Houston, San Antonio, and Orlando, Florida.

The company will be inviting new riders “on a rolling basis” to ensure “a seamless experience” across its initial Dallas service area. Waymo said it aims to open its operations “to everyone” in the cities later this year.

A Waymo robotaxi in another service city. [Video still: Waymo]

Waymo’s service footprint covers 50 square miles of central Dallas, bordered by Northwest Highway to the north and by the Bishop Arts District and parts of South Dallas to the south.

In the past weeks and months, you may have seen Waymo’s Jaguar I-PACE electric SUVs rolling around central Dallas with a safety driver behind the wheel—and more recently, with no one inside at all, as this reporter noticed just yesterday on Hillcrest Avenue. But now you’ll be seeing them with paying riders inside, and no human behind the wheel.

The new launches bring Waymo’s total metro services areas to 10, including the company’s previous rollout in Austin.

Waymo’s robotaxi service area in Dallas. [Image: Waymo]

Serving 1 million rides per week by end of 2026

“Waymo is serving more riders than ever, as we’re on track to serve over one million rides per week by the end of this year,” Waymo Co-CEO Tekedra Mawakana said.

“Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, and Orlando are critical to our plans, as we lay groundwork for service in 20-plus cities,” she added. “Each community has its own unique charm and transportation needs, and we’re eager to provide a safe, reliable, and magical way for locals and visitors to travel.”

Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson welcomed the rollout, saying, “Dallas is excited for Waymo to launch operations in our city, providing Dallas residents and visitors with new, innovative transportation option.”

“The availability of Waymo’s fully autonomous ride service further cements Dallas’s reputation as one of America’s most innovative and dynamic cities,” the mayor added. “Together, we’re putting public safety first while building a more connected city.”

Video still of Waymo Driver tech on Waymo’s robotaxis. [Image: Waymo]

200M+ autonomous miles traveled

Waymo says its vehicles have logged over 200 million fully autonomous miles, It reports that data from over 127 million miles traveled “shows we achieved a 10-fold reduction in serious injury or worse crashes and 12-fold reduction in injury crashes with pedestrians compared to human drivers, and we’re excited to bring these safety benefits to Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, and Orlando.”

The company said it’s working with local organizations in Dallas—including Downtown Dallas Inc.—”to ensure our service meets the diverse needs of their residents.”

Competitors include Uber/Avride and Lyft

Waymo began testing its robotaxis in Dallas last summer. The company is partnering with Avis to provide end-to-end fleet management services in the North Texas city, including infrastructure, vehicle readiness, maintenance, and general depot operations.

But fully driverless robotaxi competition is on the way. Austin-based Avride has partnered with Uber on a robotaxi service in Dallas that launched in December—but for now, that service is still using human safety drivers behind the wheel.

And last February, Lyft, the San Francisco-based ride-sharing giant, announced plans to roll out a robotaxi service in Dallas “as soon as 2026.”

Don’t miss what’s next. Subscribe to Dallas Innovates.

Track Dallas-Fort Worth’s business and innovation landscape with our curated news in your inbox Tuesday-Thursday.