Waymo in Toronto
Waymo’s plan to launch robotaxis in Toronto by 2028 prompts both excitement over safer, more consistent rides and concern about expanding the power of a US tech giant into core urban transport. Commenters focus on whether the company’s lidar‑based self-driving system can handle Toronto’s harsh winters, complex streetcar rules, and ad‑hoc “unofficial lanes,” while comparing its safety record favorably to human drivers. Others worry about job losses for taxi and rideshare drivers, the impact on public transit and bike infrastructure, and the privacy implications of linking detailed movement data to Google’s ecosystem, especially if dynamic pricing and lobbying power grow with market share.
Overall sentiment & rollout
- Many are impressed or excited, citing “future-like” rides in SF, LA, Austin, Phoenix, etc.; others are hostile or wary and don’t want Waymo in their city.
- Toronto launch is slated for 2028; people expect years of mapping/testing first.
- Users note Waymo’s expanding test/launch pattern (Denver, Minneapolis, New Orleans, Boston, Tokyo sightings) and some cities (e.g., NYC, Boston) where permits or politics have stalled it.
Winter, snow, and technical challenges
- Major curiosity: how cars will handle heavy snow, obscured lane markings, rutted “unofficial” lanes, snowbanks occupying half a lane, black ice, and plow piles.
- Lidar handling snow is debated: heated sensors help with buildup but not with returns off falling flakes; some think lidar is a dead end, others see multi-sensor fusion (lidar + cameras + radar + maps) as best.
- Some expect the fleet to suspend service during major storms, which could be problematic if human drivers exit the market.
Safety, behavior, and incidents
- Proponents emphasize far lower crash/fatality rates than human drivers in millions of miles, strict rule-following, and better behavior around pedestrians, cyclists, school buses, and (in theory) streetcars.
- Critics cite: cars blocking lanes or streetcars, getting “lost” or taking bizarre detours, a slowly driving through a Denver farmers’ market setup area, and NHTSA investigations (e.g., passing stopped school buses).
- Many pedestrians/cyclists say they feel safer near Waymos than human drivers; others fear software bugs in chaotic environments (Cairo/Mumbai-style traffic, complex winter scenarios).
Urbanism, politics, and car dependency
- Strong tension between enthusiasm for safer taxis and frustration that this reinforces car-centric cities instead of funding transit and bike lanes.
- Toronto-specific anger over provincial removal of bike lanes; some want regulation to keep robotaxis out of dense European-style cities.
Jobs, labor, and automation
- Repeated concern about taxi/rideshare job loss and tech lobbying power; references to “lump of labor fallacy” vs. real difficulty retraining lower-skill workers.
- Some see long-term gains (safer roads, cheaper transit if buses go driverless); others regard this as corporate cost-cutting with concentrated benefits.
Pricing, business model & enshittification
- Reports of very high per‑mile prices and aggressive dynamic pricing; fears that once human drivers are displaced, prices will rise and quality will decay.
- Others argue competition among multiple robotaxi vendors should constrain that.
Privacy, data, and Google
- Significant discomfort with an ad/analytics giant tracking precise physical movements; requirement for a Google account (with phone/real IP) is seen as a barrier.
- Canadian commenters raise digital sovereignty concerns and dependence on U.S. big tech.