Council can't control Waymo in Philadelphia; what do they control?

As self-driving Waymo vehicles continue to kick off in cities across the U.S., councilmembers in Philadelphia have a lot of questions before welcoming them to the City of Brotherly Love anytime soon; but does Philly even have the power to stop them?

In a May 12 Joint Committee meeting with Labor/Civil Service and Transportation/Public Utilities Committees, city representatives fired a number of questions at Anna Kelly, senior policy adviser for electric vehicles and parking for the Office of Transportation and Infrastructure Systems.

Questions included how officers can ticket driverless vehicles that commit traffic violations, what the cost benefit is for autonomous vehicles in Philly and if the city has any power above the state to stop Waymos and other driverless vehicles from coming to city streets.

Who controls driverless vehicles in Philadelphia? Who is in charge of Waymos in Philly?

While the state's Public Utility Commission and the Philadelphia Parking Authority have some oversight regarding the commercial licensing of driverless or autonomous vehicles, the city doesn't have any meaningful control over their actual deployment.

This means that despite council concerns, Philadelphia can't actually stop Waymo from operating in the city or picking up city residents or visitors.

Here's why: Under Pennsylvania's 2022 Act 130, PennDOT has primary regulatory control over autonomous vehicles in the state, including in Philadelphia.

This act allows autonomous commercial vehicles to operate throughout Pennsylvania with or without a driver, and it also bars municipalities like Philadelphia from creating their own bans or regulations.

Can City Council stop Waymo from coming to Philly?

In short, there is nothing immediate or simple that the city can do to prevent autonomous vehicles from operating on Philadelphia's streets.

The control of autonomous vehicles in Philadelphia isn't fully up-to the city. Instead, laws and regulations regarding this type of transportation is set by the state and the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.

Kelly confirmed to Councilwoman Nina Ahmad at Tuesday's hearing that any changes or amendments to autonomous vehicle allowances in Philadelphia would have to move through the state.

"Yes, we are entirely preempted by the state," Kelly said.

A Philadelphia representative was not immediately available to provide further information on how or if the city plans to contest the state's autonomous driving authority.

When is Waymo coming to Philadelphia? Can I get a Waymo in Philly?

In the beginning of the joint committee hearing, Kelly disclosed that Waymos have been performing testing and mapping in the city since summer 2025 and are in the process of obtaining permits for commercial use.

While a rollout date was not set, Kelly shared that the city anticipates the rideshare company's commercial rollout to occur after the upcoming celebrations planned in Philadelphia for America 250 and the FIFA World Cup.

That means driverless Waymos won't be ferrying FIFA fans to and from the Linc or America 250 visitors to the Liberty Bell, but they'll likely be rolling soon.

Kaitlyn McCormick is a Philadelphia-based reporter writing all things trending, breaking and city-related for USA TODAY's Philadelphia Metro Connect Team.