Editor’s note: Today marks one year since we opened up Waymo One fully autonomous rides to any member of the public in Metro Phoenix. Since then, we’ve served tens of thousands of rider-only trips for thousands of riders, including John, who has taken more than 400 rides over the past year. Not only is this more than any other Waymo One rider has taken, it's also more fully autonomous rides than anyone in the world has ever done! With such an honor, we wanted to talk with him for our latest Why I Ride and hear more about how he feels about Waymo One, with one year and hundreds of trips under his belt.

When you think about the people behind the Waymo Driver, you might think of the engineers writing the software algorithms or developing our state-of-the-art hardware. But there’s another group that deserves a lot of credit too: our riders.

In 2018, we shared our plans to work with Valley Metro, the Phoenix Metro area’s regional public transportation authority, to explore mobility solutions in a first-of-its-kind study that would use autonomous driving technology to complement the city’s existing transit network.

Today, we’re excited to share the next step in our journey in the City by the Bay, with the kickoff of our Waymo One Trusted Tester program.

Editor’s note: We first heard from Sophia on social media, where she’s been sharing fun videos of her Waymo One rides. We reached out to learn more about what intrigued her about Waymo in the first place and how autonomous driving technology has become a part of her everyday life (and sparked a new passion!).

Editor’s Note: In our next “Why I Ride with Waymo,” we catch up with the Henderson family. After moving to Phoenix in 2018, they quickly found a new mode of transportation, the Waymo Driver, when they signed up as part of our early rider program. Over the years, the Henderson family has experienced our technology transform and helped refine it through their great feedback.

Editor’s note: For Mike, Waymo One has become an essential way for him and his family to get where they need to go. They recently downsized to a one-car household and now rely on Waymo for critical trips, like commuting to and from work. Read more about his experience (and how he encouraged his parents and in-laws to ride) in today’s Why I Ride.

Editor’s Note: In 2017, Waymo joined forces with a diverse group of organizations to create Let's Talk Autonomous Driving -- the world's first public education campaign to increase education and understanding around autonomous driving technology. In this Why I Ride with Waymo, we’ll hear from Barb Hoffman, who is a former executive director of our partner Red Means Stop, a traffic advocate organization dedicated to increasing awareness about the dangers and consequences of red light running.

Editor’s note: We love seeing our Waymo One riders share their experience with the world. After catching this video of one of Jesse’s recent rides, we reached out to him to get more info on how it went. In the Phoenix area and want to experience a fully autonomous ride for yourself? Just download the Waymo app and hail one instantly!

Editor’s note: Last year, we opened up our fully autonomous ride-hailing service to all of our Waymo One riders, and Xavier is one of the people who relies on this service to get where he needs to go. He shared this video with us, and we gave him a call to learn more about how he likes the service and what it’s like to ride with Waymo, solo.

Editor’s note: In the time since publication, we’ve worked through our long waitlist, have continued to increase our supply, and now anyone in the U.S. can download the app directly (available on Google Play and the App Store) and instantly hail a fully autonomous ride in our service territory. Happy riding! 

One year ago, Waymo became the first and only company in the world to launch a public self-driving ride-hailing service. We now have thousands of people using it in their everyday lives across the Metro Phoenix area and have enjoyed seeing how they rely on the Waymo Driver to get them where they need to be, whether that’s work, the grocery store, or a fun night out.

Editor’s Note: In this “Why I Ride with Waymo” post, Jordan shares what makes Waymo One a relaxing and enjoyable service.

Editor’s Note: In this next “Why I Ride with Waymo” post we catch up with Jean. Although she often rides with Waymo with her husband, Bob, Waymo offers them different benefits. For example, Bob likes how Waymo One allows them to be a one car household, while Jean prefers the predictably of Waymo One, especially if she’s riding alone.

Editor’s Note: In the next “Why I Ride with Waymo” posts, we catch up with Bob and Jean. While they often use Waymo One together, the service offers them unique benefits. First, we will hear from Bob who shares how Waymo One allows them to be a one car household.

Editor’s Note: In this “Why I Ride with Waymo” post, Nicole shares how driving with Waymo has made her more aware of how humans make some really unsafe decisions as drivers.

Editor’s Note: In this “Why I Ride with Waymo” post, Winnie details how Waymo provides her newfound freedom today and how self-driving technology will give her generation even more independence in the future.

We’ve had members of the public riding in our fully self-driving vehicles for over two years, first as part of our early rider program and more recently through our Waymo One commercial ride-hailing service. Now, we have over a thousand riders in Waymo One, some who have been with us since the very beginning and some who just took their first trip this week.

Editor’s Note: In this “Why I Ride with Waymo” post, Waymo One riders Tres and Amani give us the low-down on what it’s like riding in our self-driving cars. Some of their favorite things include having more time to enjoy quality time together and being able to avoid the hassle of finding parking when they are out and about.