Waymo opens Dallas robotaxi service to the public
Waymo announced that starting August 4, 2026, anyone in Dallas can download the Waymo app and hail a fully autonomous ride, without joining an interest list first. The service had been running in an interest-list-only phase since February, during which Waymo says it welcomed nearly 150,000 riders in the city. With the public launch, that gating step is removed and the service is open to everyone.
Waymo says it is continuing fully autonomous testing at the terminals of Dallas Love Field Airport and expects to serve travelers there soon, though it gave no date. The company also plans to soon begin fully autonomous testing on Dallas freeways, which it describes as the final step before it can offer freeway routes to public riders; again, no timeline was given.
Chris Justl, CEO of Epilepsy Foundation Texas, was quoted supporting the expansion, framing Waymo's autonomous vehicles as a way to give people with epilepsy and other conditions that limit their ability to drive a path to safe, independent travel, and describing the foundation's partnership with Waymo. The source does not give a price per ride, fleet size, or details on how daily operation changes now that the waitlist is gone beyond the removal of that gate.
Key facts
- Waymo's Dallas robotaxi service is now open to the public via its app, ending the interest-list-only phase.
- The interest-list phase ran since February and drew nearly 150,000 riders in Dallas before today's opening.
- Waymo is continuing fully autonomous testing at Dallas Love Field Airport terminals ahead of serving travelers there.
- Fully autonomous freeway testing in Dallas is planned next, described as the final step before offering freeway routes to public riders.
- Epilepsy Foundation Texas CEO Chris Justl publicly backed the service as an independent-travel option for people who cannot drive.
Why it matters
This is Waymo converting a gated pilot into an open commercial service in a major US metro, one of the clearest public signals yet of how it scales a market: start with a vetted interest list, then remove the gate once volume and confidence build. The freeway and airport testing announced alongside the public launch point to the next expansion of where the service can operate within Dallas.
Who it affects
Dallas residents and, notably, visitors and tourists, who gain a new way to get around the city, can now use the service directly. People with medical conditions that prevent them from driving, a group the Epilepsy Foundation Texas quote specifically calls out, gain a transportation option. Travelers at Dallas Love Field Airport stand to be served once that testing concludes.
How to use it
Anyone in Dallas can now download the Waymo app and hail a ride immediately, with no interest-list signup required. The source gives no price per ride or details on fares. Airport pickups and freeway routes are not yet available to the public; both are still in the autonomous-testing stage that precedes public rollout.
How solid is it
The claims come directly from Waymo's own blog post, so the rider count and rollout description are the company's self-reported figures rather than independently verified numbers. No fleet size, ride pricing, or operational safety data accompanies the announcement, and no dates are given for when airport service or freeway routes will actually open to riders.
Risks and caveats
As a company announcement, the post is naturally promotional, and it omits figures that would let outsiders assess the service's actual scale or economics: no price, no fleet size, and no year specified for the February interest-list launch. Freeway operation is inherently a higher-stakes autonomous-driving environment than city streets, and no timeline has been given for when that testing will conclude or convert into a public offering.
“Waymo autonomous vehicles are not just the future, they're a transformational step forward for the epilepsy community and anyone living with medical conditions that limit their ability to drive, creating a new pathway to safe, independent travel. At Epilepsy Foundation Texas, we're proud to partner with Waymo to help bring this future to life across Texas.”
— Chris Justl, CEO, Epilepsy Foundation Texas