Waymo opens driverless airport trips at Nashville International
The limited BNA rollout uses a dedicated Ground Transportation Center curb and will expand gradually through the Waymo app
Waymo began offering fully autonomous trips to and from Nashville International Airport on Oct. 13, initially to a select group of riders. The rollout made it the first fully autonomous ride-hailing service to provide airport transportation in Tennessee.
Eligible passengers will be notified through the Waymo app as airport service becomes available to them. Pickups and drop-offs use Waymo’s dedicated D1 curb space on the lower level of BNA’s Ground Transportation Center, serving journeys between the airport and greater Nashville.
Access is being expanded gradually, with Waymo aiming to make airport service available to all riders. BNA said the service added another transport option for passengers travelling to and from the airport.
Nashville is Waymo’s fifth airport market, after Phoenix Sky Harbor, San José Mineta, San Francisco and San Antonio international airports. The company had begun inviting Nashville’s first public riders on a rolling basis in April, when it was testing operations at BNA and said it intended eventually to serve airport travellers.
Waymo’s Nashville service area is now reported to cover 60 square miles. Since September, Lyft users in the city have also been able to be matched with Waymo vehicles, making Nashville the first market where Waymo rides were available through both companies’ apps. Lyft passengers can decline an autonomous vehicle when matched or opt out of such trips altogether.
As covered earlier this month, Waymo and Lyft have opened an 80,000-square-foot depot near BNA to charge, clean and maintain hundreds of autonomous vehicles. The facility is expected to bring more than 70 full-time jobs to Nashville this year.
The airport expansion follows concerns raised after Waymo’s initial passenger launch, including traffic and safety complaints from residents in the 12South and Woodbine neighbourhoods. Metro received dozens of complaints about driverless vehicles through hubNashville, while body-camera footage obtained by News 2 showed a Waymo blocking traffic on Broadway shortly after the service began. Waymo officials said on Oct. 14 that vehicles travelling to BNA were avoiding the interstate and using service roads.