Waymo adds three South Bay cities to its Los Angeles robotaxi network, while Boyle Heights, East LA and nearby Latino communities remain outside its service area.
Waymo’s driverless taxis can now take passengers to Manhattan Beach, El Segundo and Torrance. But residents of Boyle Heights, East Los Angeles and several nearby communities still cannot request rides from their neighborhoods.
The growing map raises a question we have examined before: As driverless transportation spreads across Los Angeles, which communities are gaining access, and which are still waiting?
A larger service area, but familiar gaps
In its October 27 announcement, Waymo outlined an expansion of nearly 250 square miles across five metropolitan markets, including Los Angeles.
Yet Boyle Heights, East Los Angeles, Huntington Park, South Gate, Bell and Maywood remain outside the passenger service area identified in Parriva’s earlier reporting on robotaxi access in Latino communities.
The economic differences are substantial.
Manhattan Beach has a median household income of approximately $194,000, according to Census figures. In Boyle Heights, the median household income was $56,481 under the city’s 2019–2023 estimates. East Los Angeles, where approximately 96% of residents are Hispanic or Latino, had a median household income of $68,378.
These figures don’t explain why Waymo selected particular neighborhoods. There is no established public evidence that the company deliberately excluded communities because of race, ethnicity or income.
But the difference in geographic access is clear.
Why the service boundary matters
A driverless taxi is only useful if it can pick you up near home and take you where you need to go.
For someone without a car, another transportation option could make certain trips easier. But that depends on fares, wait times and available destinations.
A Boyle Heights resident outside Waymo’s service boundary cannot request a pickup at home, even though the company operates elsewhere in Los Angeles.
That doesn’t automatically mean Waymo would be affordable or practical if it arrived.
Without neighborhood-level information about fares, trip frequency and ridership, it’s difficult to know who benefits most from the expansion.
Our report on Californians’ trust in driverless vehicles shows availability is only one part of the discussion. Residents must also feel comfortable using the technology.
Waymo is testing near the Eastside
In Commerce, southeast of downtown Los Angeles, Waymo vehicles have been appearing on residential streets.
After residents complained about vehicle activity, city officials acknowledged that Waymo was conducting training operations.
According to reporting on the city’s October 28 statement, Commerce increased overnight patrols, began documenting vehicle activity and communicated with Waymo.
The city did not disclose how many vehicles were involved or how long training would continue.
For nearby residents, the distinction matters: Testing vehicles on local streets does not mean passenger service is available or about to begin.
State approval doesn’t guarantee a ride
In August, the California Public Utilities Commission approved Waymo’s expansion across portions of 18 counties.
The CPUC’s regulatory records document the broader authorization.
But permission to operate and actual passenger service are different things.
Waymo has said expansion will be gradual and guided by its safety framework. The company has not announced a launch date for passenger service in Boyle Heights, East Los Angeles or the southeast Los Angeles communities identified in Parriva’s earlier coverage.
Even Los Angeles International Airport remains outside its available pickup and drop-off destinations.
Waymo’s Los Angeles network has grown rapidly since 2024. Its service area exceeded 120 square miles in 2025 and now covers approximately 210 square miles, according to the latest reporting.
Residents can check Waymo’s official service-area information or enter pickup and destination addresses in the Waymo app to see whether a trip is available.
For communities still outside the boundaries, important questions remain: How does Waymo decide where to expand? When will additional neighborhoods receive service? And what will rides cost?
Clearer information about expansion criteria, fares and neighborhood-level availability would help residents evaluate whether the growing network meets their transportation needs.
For now, Waymo can take passengers to more destinations across Los Angeles. But in Boyle Heights, East Los Angeles and several neighboring cities, residents are still waiting for service to reach their streets.
