On February 25 2026, Waymo, the autonomous driver company, announced it had begun mapping the streets of Chicago for future operations after Chicago residents spotted the vehicles being driven in the streets and two rows of Waymo vehicles were found in a parking garage in the Loop. Although the vehicles are presently being driven by human drivers in order to map out Chicago’s streets and gather data on traffic, the company stated it is eager to begin autonomous operations in Chicago. As of February 2026, there is no legislation in Chicago or Illinois authorizing autonomous vehicles.
The City of Chicago had been notified prior to the test drives and the office of the Mayor released a statement mentioning that Chicago “looks forward to engaging with commuters, workers, transit advocates and industry leaders” as they “pursue an equitable path forward” regarding Waymo and autonomous vehicles. The Mayor’s office acknowledged that autonomous drivers are not currently authorized, although there are currently pending bills in the Illinois General Assembly regarding vehicles like Waymo’s.
Waymo, a subsidiary of Alphabet, has had a successful yet controversial history. Google began development on self-driving vehicles in 2009, and, in 2016, Waymo LLC was established as a subsidiary of Alphabet, Google’s mother company. In 2020, Waymo began fully autonomous services, and, as of February 2026, has completed 200 million fully autonomous miles driven throughout Los Angeles, Phoenix, San Francisco, Atlanta, Austin, and Miami, serving 400,000 rides weekly, according to Waymo.
Since July 2021, when the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) mandated self-reports on autonomous vehicle crashes, Waymo has been involved in 1,613 incidents, according to data from the NHTSA. Waymo incidents involve dogs getting run over, traffic violations, noise complaints, injuries, and fatalities. In January 2026, the NHTSA and the National Transportation Safety Board opened investigations into Waymo following repeated failures to comply with school bus traffic laws and collisions with children.
Following Waymo’s announcement, State Rep. Kam Buckner introduced legislation to operate a 3-year pilot program that would test autonomous vehicles in specific counties, including Cook County, before fully banning or authorizing self-driving vehicles, citing autonomous vehicles as a potentially lucrative option for the future. Waymo and self-driving vehicles in general have been argued for their safety, including removing drunk drivers from the roads and constantly improving algorithms and systems, although critics say self-driving cars hurt domestic transport businesses and increase unpredictable traffic. Waymo consistently reports fewer incidents per mileage compared to human drivers, but experts say the sample size is small and safety data may be cherry-picked.
Waymo’s first step in Chicago aligns with mappings and testings in cities across the United States, including in Texas and North Carolina. Rules, regulations, and expectations for autonomous vehicles are still being pioneered as Waymo expands, leading to conflicts and conversations. If you want a say in whether autonomous vehicles should or shouldn’t be banned, contact your local state representative and city councilors to make your voice heard.