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Waymo in Portland

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Re: Waymo in Portland

#131

Post by cameldrv »

Silamoth wrote: post #62
boc wrote: post #4

I've determined that my ultimate dream car would be something like a Rivian but with Waymo tech, so I can drive it manually when I want/need (snowstorms, off-road), but I can also let it drive me across the country at night while I camp in the back. Would absolutely change the way we move across the US, especially if you have hobbies that involve a lot of gear and equipment.

At least 80% of what you’re describing would be satisfied by trains and buses. It’s wild that Americans are so obsessed with self-driving cars while ignoring public transit that solves most of the problems. It’s reliable, more efficient, better for the environment, and less stressful for you. I’m not saying cars shouldn’t ever exist. The ‘last mile problem’ is a thing, and proper self-driving cars could be good for p…

The European mind does not comprehend how big and sparsely populated the American West is. You can't even pitch a tent in most places in the Alps, and why would you, when you just stop at a hut that has a staff and you can get fed and sleep in bunks with 20 other people? Meanwhile I can drive to numerous places where there isn't a structure or even another person in a 20km radius. No one is going to run a train to a place like that.

Re: Waymo in Portland

#132

Post by fhka »

Cider9986 wrote: post #119

Thank goodness that Waymo has no plans to use the cameras recording you in the car for targeted ads. I will feel so secure and private being recorded at all angles in a car I don't own and can't sue. "Waymo: ‘no plans’ to use in-car camera data for targeted ads" ( https://www.theverge.com/news/644770/waymo-interior-camera-a... )

I also don't understand why people aren't more upset about the privacy issues. They have your whole travel data, your face, your voice, "private" conversations.

And the people in the Philippines who can intervene in the "self" driving can comment on your bodily features if bored.

Re: Waymo in Portland

#134

Post by QuercusMax »

RoddaWallPro wrote: post #114
darquomiahw wrote: post #69

Why would anyone take a Waymo when you can ride the Trimet MAX for $2.50?

I rode the MAX when living there for a few years. I vividly recall screaming drugged out homeless riders being a regular feature. The last time I rode, a year ago, there was someone in the throes of the fent-bends in my section, who smelled like he was dying (he well may have been). These incidents haven't made me fear, because I am a relatively big and tall male, but they _definitely_ will for others. And even then,…

The solution is to get MORE people onto the trains, not fewer.

Re: Waymo in Portland

#135

Post by guywithahat »

NitpickLawyer wrote: post #48
boc wrote: post #4

I've determined that my ultimate dream car would be something like a Rivian but with Waymo tech, so I can drive it manually when I want/need (snowstorms, off-road), but I can also let it drive me across the country at night while I camp in the back. Would absolutely change the way we move across the US, especially if you have hobbies that involve a lot of gear and equipment.

> something like a Rivian but with Waymo tech So a Tesla?

I, independently, made almost exactly the same comment before seeing yours lol. I already do 20+ hour cross-country trips in my Y without a break to sleep, which is only possible because I'm not meaningfully fatigued driving. it's still technically supervised but I think that's beyond the point OP is making

Re: Waymo in Portland

#136

Post by QuercusMax »

nickvec wrote: post #72
well_ackshually wrote: post #54

The same Waymo that says that they don't give a shit that they're stopping in bike lanes because their selfish passengers pay for it? - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47912645 Good luck to Portland getting fucked by Waymo.

Human drivers (especially Uber/DoorDash drivers) stop in bike lanes all the time without repercussion. Pointing the finger at Waymo for this doesn't negate the larger problem of it not being enforced by local traffic enforcement.

I've personally reported a taxi driver for parking in a bike lane, and I hope he lost his cab license for it because it was really egregious. PBOT actually asked me for official testimony.

Re: Waymo in Portland

#137

Post by linkregister »

tristanj wrote: post #101
linkregister wrote: post #81

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is it known that Waymo operating costs are lower?

In San Francisco, it has to be. Because of prop 22, Uber/Lyft must compensate drivers a minimum of $22.40/hr, plus $0.36/mile for vehicle expenses. Waymo doesn't have this cost, so it's effectively ~$25/hr cheaper to operate than Uber/Lyft. I looked up the numbers - the estimated Uber/Lyft cost per mile in SF is ~$4.50/mi, and Waymo is trending around $1.40/mi (estimated 2025 number).

Where is this estimate? I found a wide range of estimates in my web search, from a per-mile cost of revenue of $2 (meaning a loss of $2 per mile excluding capex), to up to $50/mile.

Re: Waymo in Portland

#138

Post by jdprgm »

catlover76 wrote: post #113
JeremyNT wrote: post #108

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> At least 80% of what you’re describing would be satisfied by trains and buses. It’s wild that Americans are so obsessed with self-driving cars while ignoring public transit that solves most of the problems. It’s reliable, more efficient, better for the environment, and less stressful for you. As an American, it's far easier to imagine autonomous robot driven road trips than it is to imagine a government that is com…

Why? Isn't Amtrak that, but just geographically-scoped? Isn't Caltrain workable? Subways also function fine in NYC, DC, Boston, and even LA (to be clear, I don't think the other poster is correct that having trains would satisfy the desire of the guy who wants a self-driving Rivian. I consider his want/need there to be fundamentally different)

It's comically (and extremely variably) priced. A trip from DC to NYC and back would be ~$25 in electric costs with a typical electric car versus Amtrak could easily be $300+ though possibly as cheap as $50 if you are flexible to awful hours like depart at 4:30am or something.

Re: Waymo in Portland

#139

Post by fragmede »

superfrank wrote: post #82
pkulak wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Are Waymos cheaper than hiring a person?

IIRC, in SF they're slightly more expensive before tip, but having ridden in them in SF, LA, and AZ I've always felt they were cheaper. Over the long run, they will probably end up being cheaper from the wholesale perspective since eventually the parts and technology cost will come down with time and scale while human wages will continue to rise. That said, it doesn't really matter if they're cheaper as long as they'…

Alphabet/Google/Waymo is a technology business, with emphasis on business. They're not running a charity. They're in it to make money. If it's a $20 Uber ride to somewhere, they're not going to leave money on the table and charge $10 because they don't have a driver to pay. They're going to charge $22 for the premium experience because they know people will pay that.

Re: Waymo in Portland

#140

Post by ptero »

starkparker wrote: post #127

For context, this is coming in as TriMet is laying off staff, reducing service frequency, eliminating bus lines, and cutting parts of light rail routes due to a $300M budget shortfall. The cuts were exacerbated by state Republicans getting a proposed payroll tax repeal onto the ballot next month; TriMet relies heavily on payroll taxes that are deeply unpopular among the self-employed and small business owners, so the…

> The cuts were exacerbated by state Republicans getting a proposed payroll tax repeal onto the ballot next month

Sorry to nitpick, but why is the next month's ballot (and in general the issues that have not been voted on yet) affecting current service?

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