Say NO to self-driving cars. Invest in public transit instead.

I recently read about Waymo's "statewide road show" at the Great New York State Fair, where the company presented self-driving cars as our inevitable future. I'm writing to push back on that framing. A future dominated by robotaxis is not inevitable—it's a business plan. And it's one that New York should not fund, subsidize, or fast-track. Waymo brought one car to the Fair and called it progress. Meanwhile, our actual transportation system is struggling. Buses run late or not at all. Regional rail is a fraction of what it could be. Too many New Yorkers, especially upstate, are stranded without a car and without good alternatives. Those are the problems worth solving, and no fleet of autonomous vehicles will solve them. The truth is, self-driving cars are still cars. They'll add congestion to our streets, compete with transit for riders and public dollars, and eliminate driving jobs—New York City alone has roughly 180,000 people who drive for a living. Even Waymo's own pitch concedes the point: they describe filling "gaps" left by public transit. Why not fix the gaps instead? What we need is investment in the things that move the most people for the least money: trains and buses. More frequent service. Dedicated bus lanes. Expanded rail connecting our cities and towns. Safe sidewalks and bike routes so people aren't forced to drive for every trip. These investments create jobs, cut emissions, and serve everyone—including seniors, kids, and people with disabilities—in ways a $126 billion private company never will. Please oppose legislation that would authorize commercial autonomous vehicles in New York, and instead champion serious funding for public transportation. That's the future New Yorkers actually need—and it's the one worth making inevitable. Thank you for your time and your service.