Waymo Teams Up with Daly City Partnership to Help Meet Community Needs
Just south of San Francisco, tucked between San Bruno Mountain and the Pacific Ocean, is Daly City. Home to just over 100,00 residents, this small city has a big heart. The people take pride in their diverse neighborhoods, where hard work and a strong sense of local belonging define the daily rhythm of life.
Now, as of late summer 2024, Daly City residents can hail a Waymo ride for safe and accessible transportation. As the company’s service area expands, Waymo is working with local nonprofits to understand how its autonomous driving technology can benefit the unique communities where it operates.
In Daly City, Waymo is partnering with Daly City Partnership, a local nonprofit where the caring staff and volunteers know the dynamism and diversity of this tight-knit community well.
“The challenges facing our communities range from poverty to being a first-time immigrant, food insecurity, and housing insecurity,” explained Mike Stancil, executive director of Daly City Partnership.
Daly City Partnership provides rental assistance, family services, and food distribution programs to help its community members – 60% of whom live below the poverty level of Area Median Income – make ends meet. Other youth- and family-focused programs include after school enrichment programming and mental health services.
A community member named Kimberley, a mother of three young children, said Daly City Partnership has provided her family with clothes, food, diapers, toiletries, and household items in times of need.
Daly City Partnership community member Kimberley receives essential items from the nonprofit.
“That means a lot to my family, and to my kids especially,” Kimberley said. “When I look at my kids, I want them to feel safe, feel loved, and always feel that I'm there for them.”
She said she very much appreciates the friendly and helpful Daly City Partnership staff.
“They're always trying to see in what way they could help you,” Kimberley said.
Another of the many ways Daly City Partnership seeks to support the community is through transportation.
“Whenever we have a transportation benefit that's offered, we always have an overabundance of applications beyond what we can offer,” Mike shared. “So we know that getting to and from work, school, and other personal and family obligations is a challenge.”
Some community members depend on public transportation to take advantage of the Daly City Partnership's services, but available routes can be indirect and do not always accommodate their schedules. Mike believes Waymo’s autonomous driving technology can help fill the gaps.
“Multi-generational families are usually challenged with how and when to get around,” Mike said. “ I think Waymo's innovation and technology will really help many in our community.”
Mike added that Waymo has also provided support to Daly City Partnership as it works to meet the community’s growing needs in the aftermath of the pandemic, as the cost of living continues to increase.
“We're really appreciative of Waymo stepping up to help with our Family Resource Day,” he said.
At Daly City Partnership’s Family Resource Day, kids are equipped with back-to-school essentials.
Family Resource Day is one of Daly City Partnership’s flagship programs, providing over 300 kids with new backpacks filled with fresh supplies, clothing, shoes, and more in preparation for back-to-school season. Waymo sponsored Daly City Partnership’s backpack drive this year, helping to ensure that Daly City’s littlest community members have the tools for a successful school year.
Waymo also invited Daly City Partnership’s community members to ride with Waymo and experience the technology firsthand. Renee and Nati, two Daly City Partnership volunteers, rode with Waymo in Daly City one beautiful day in September.
“The Waymo ride today was super exciting,” said Renee. “The whole interaction was fun.”
Renee, who lives with a disability and uses a walker, has tried to use other ride-hailing services in the past, but said that was ‘challenging.’
“I've been left at the curb,” Renee said. “There have been inappropriate things said to me and I've been made to feel unsafe.”
In contrast, Renee said that riding with Waymo was wonderful.
“This was so easy and so exciting for me to know that I can go from point A to point B and have no fear of discrimination because I do have a walker,” she explained. “It's exciting to know that I have this freedom.”
Nati said she felt safe and secure riding with Waymo. The Waymo Driver is designed to obey speed limits and other rules of the road, stop for pedestrians, and make proactive driving decisions to keep passengers, other drivers, and road users safe
“Sometimes people [drivers] are not looking, and Waymo senses it,” Nati observed. “This is a very good invention. A genius invention!”
Nati also said she’d recommend riding with Waymo to her friends and family.
“It’s safe, and it will get you to where you want to go,” she said. “It's a cool and fun adventure.”
Aside from being a fun and comfortable ride, Waymo also expands the number of mobility options for Daly City residents. Waymo operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week in San Francisco, Daly City and Colma, giving residents more choices for transportation in and between the cities.
“Being able to have freedom of movement within Daly City I think is really critical for our community,” said Mike. ”Having that level of innovation and change in our community is important.”
He added that Waymo’s mission aligns with Daly City Partnership’s work to connect Daly City residents with support and resources.
“I hope that Daly City Partnership can help the city of Daly City become the city that we want it to be; a city that has happy, well adjusted, well resourced communities and families.” Mike said. “I hope that it fulfills that promise within the Bay Area: that we treat everybody with respect and dignity.”
