The Places You’ll Go: Discover Chandler in an Autonomously Driven Waymo Vehicle

Chandler, a city of 280,000 just outside of Phoenix, is a city of superlatives. The lists where Chandler has been ranked highly over the years include Best Places to Live; Best Cities for Startups; Most Thriving City; Best Fitness Walking Cities; and many more.

In October 2020 – exactly two years ago this month – Chandler earned another national title when it became the first city where riders could experience Waymo One’s fully autonomous ride-hailing service with no human operator in the vehicle.

Waymo, an autonomous driving technology company with a mission to make it safe and easy for people and things to get where they're going, first began working with the City of Chandler in 2016 to deploy its technology.

“The City of Chandler and Waymo have worked closely together for years to bring innovative autonomous-driving technologies to our city streets,” said Chandler Mayor Kevin Hartke. 

In 2017, Waymo opened rides to members of the public through its Early Rider Program, now referred to as its Trusted Tester program, in which people can provide feedback to Waymo. That feedback helped Waymo evolve the rider experience and technology until in 2020, Waymo fully launched its Rider Only program. Now, Waymo is expanding its fully autonomous ride-hailing service to downtown Phoenix, with Trusted Testers currently riding with no one behind the wheel.

Over the years, Chandler’s leadership and its residents have provided invaluable feedback that has helped Waymo deliver on its fully autonomous promise and shape the future of autonomous driving. 

To celebrate this two-year milestone, we’re showcasing some exciting Chandler landmarks passengers can visit with Waymo One, as chosen by Mayor Hartke.

“Passengers can catch an autonomous ride to explore the Chandler Museum, shop at Chandler Fashion Center, or spark their imaginations at the Chandler Sunset Library,” said Hartke. “We look forward to watching Waymo continue to innovate and expand its transportation offerings in our city.”

Chandler Museum

The Chandler Museum showcases the history of Chandler’s people and their diverse cultures while offering engaging programs to highlight and bring the members of the community together. The museum is an integral organization, partnering with nonprofits to preserve Chandler’s history and agricultural heritage, and even celebrating famous athletes from Chandler.

Take a trip to the Chandler Museum to see the exhibit Thrift Style, open to the public through November 27, and explore the “upcycling” and ingenuity of local residents during the economic hardships of the Great Depression and World War II. 

Chandler Fashion Center

The Chandler Fashion Center is a dynamic destination for shopping, dining, and entertainment. Whether you want to catch a movie, pick out new school or work clothes, or enjoy a date-night, the Chandler Fashion Center is a great option for both local residents and out-of-town visitors. 

Visit the Chandler Fashion Center from now until January 15th and shop to help support local schools through the School Cents program. Every purchase you make will go towards helping local participating  elementary, middle, or high schools earn up to $3,000.

Sunset Library

Grab a library card and visit the Chandler Sunset Library to browse and check out books for children, teens and adults. Visitors will also discover meeting and study rooms, as well as engaging community events. The library hosts a wide range of in-person and virtual events, including job search and resume building workshops, outreach programs for people experiencing homelessness, hangouts for teens, meetings to improve language skills and more.

Now through November 2, the library is proud to present the Fall 2022 Corona del Sol Student Art Exhibit. Stop by to view Chandler Contigo celebration inspired artwork created by Corona del Sol's High School students!

The Next Place You’ll Go: Families Edition

Get ready for the next exciting journey in The Places You’ll Go series: Families Edition. Ride along with the AZ Mom Squad as they explore the Phoenix East Valley with Waymo One and share their experience. The AZ Mom Squad is a mommy influencer team of two sisters with a mission to help Arizona moms discover local, family-friendly experiences and businesses.