Even if self-driving vehicles become legally possible in Virginia, they’d have to get through several more rounds of discussion and possible regulation before they could hit the road.
Sen. Saddam Salim (D-37), the chief patron of legislation in Richmond supporting autonomous trucking and ride-hailing services in Virginia, told ARLnow that his bill would establish a path forward for businesses like Waymo, but it would by no means be the final word.
If the bill makes it into law, Salim expects to see two or three years of adjustments before companies like Waymo could begin roving the streets of localities such as Arlington. He foresees the first of these vehicles on the road in 2028 at the earliest.
“The purpose of this bill was to ensure that there is a framework to start this off, so that we continue the conversation around what these types of autonomous vehicles are going to look like, how they’re going to interact with Virginia and why it’s necessary,” the senator said.
Salim’s legislation passed the Senate in a 35-4 vote but is currently in subcommittee in the House. If the House approves it with amendments, the Senate will have to pass it again before it heads to Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s desk.
Nationwide, the debate on autonomous vehicles is far from settled.
Some research suggests that they may have a lower rate of crashing than human-driven vehicles. However, critics have raised concerns about self-driving vehicles potentially taking away jobs or even making the United States more car-dependent if they result in car travel becoming significantly cheaper and more convenient.
Salim said his legislation wouldn’t be opening the floodgates for autonomous vehicles. At least initially, he envisions companies occupying a small portion of the market, filling a niche that isn’t well served by other ride-hailing services, for instance.
“I think it’s going to start as a small batch through a pilot to see if it works, and if it does, then they’re going to go to expand that,” he said.
Even in Virginia’s urban areas, Salim noted that rideshares can be hard to find in the very early morning, and the few Uber and Lyft drivers on the road are often at the tail end of their shifts. In more rural areas, he said accessing either rideshares or public transportation can be a challenge.
Salim said he doesn’t want to see transportation services cut off at the border of D.C. and Maryland, where lawmakers are discussing similar legislation. He added that traditional rideshare options can fail some riders, like people with disabilities who may see drivers cancel rides because of their service animals.
“These autonomous vehicles will go to fill that gap in, for some of the folks that have had difficulties finding public transportation, or just any type of transportation in general,” he said.
On the labor side, Salim said he expects to see project labor agreements for jobs around maintenance and customer service representation. At the earliest, he anticipates a license registration process could be up and running by July 2027 — but even then, he said the Virginia Department of Transportation could seek more legislation to create additional guardrails.
Overall, Salim hopes to keep pace with similar changes that may come to Virginia’s neighbors, ensuring consistency throughout the region.
“I want to make sure we align ourselves from the legal side, where these vehicles are not going to stop by the vehicles on the river or halfway on the bridge where they’re trying to come across,” he said.
If legislation clears both chambers, Salim said Spanberger would have until April 22 to sign it into law.
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This story was originally published by ARLnow and distributed through a partnership with The Associated Press.
