Waymo Continues To Increase Its Footprint In Los Angeles

Here are the morning’s top stories on Wednesday, October 15, 2025…

• In San Francisco, more people are now ordering Waymo robotaxis than Lyfts with human drivers. People are getting more comfortable using driverless cars. This got us thinking – is the same thing about to happen in LA? And how do human Uber and Lyft drivers feel about it? 
• A new state audit released this week finds that California’s public college systems aren’t doing enough to meet the need for student housing.

How Increase In Driverless Vehicles In Los Angeles Could Impact Rideshare Drivers 

If you live in San Francisco, you see them everywhere. Waymo driverless vehicles have already taken a huge market share in the city, as more and more people seem to be more comfortable taking the autonomous vehicles. But what about other markets like Los Angeles?

There’s still one place in L.A. where you are guaranteed to find tons of rideshare drivers, and no robotaxis – LAX. That’s because they’re not allowed there yet.  But it may be where you find Oscar Cordero. He’s a nine year veteran of Uber and Lyft with 15,000 rides under his belt. He’s keeping an eye on all of those white driverless Jaguars. “They’re everywhere,” he said.

In two years, Waymo has expanded quickly in Los Angeles. The company now operates over 600 vehicles across more than 120 square miles. They’re even testing their robotaxis on L.A.’s freeways. And there are other dozens of other companies looking to test their driverless vehicles in the state as well. Mark Giarelli is a stock researcher at Morningstar. He’s been keeping an eye on Waymo and how much its cutting into Uber and Lyft. “Just how close are we to autonomous vehicle or AV dominance? Put simply, it’s not imminent, but it’s starting to feel tangible,” he said.

Giarelli says today, autonomous vehicles nationally are doing less than 1% of total trips. He predicts that autonomous vehicles will be approximately half of U.S. and Canadian ride hail in ten years.

Audit Finds CA Colleges Aren’t Doing Enough To Address Student Housing 

A new state audit released this week finds that California’s public college systems aren’t doing enough to measure or meet the need for student housing.

The report found that despite state investments aimed at increasing student housing, the University of California, California State University, and state community college system each lack a centralized strategy for doing so. The audit recommended administrations take a stronger leadership role. That includes  tracking basic data, such as how many students need a place to live, and ensuring schools provide clear information for students on housing costs and assistance programs.