As robotaxis gain traction in major U.S. cities, Cintra, a Ferrovial company and Georgia Institute of Technology teamed up to better understand how riders use—and trust—autonomous vehicles (AVs), and what that means for the future of highway infrastructure and managed lanes.
The Rise of Robotaxis & Changing Mobility Patterns
The robotaxi industry is expanding rapidly. In 2025, multiple companies have accelerated deployment across the U.S.:
- Waymo continues to grow, operating fully driverless taxis in cities including Phoenix, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Austin and Atlanta — and plans to add 2,000 more fully autonomous vehicles to its existing 1,500-vehicle fleet.
- Zoox (owned by Amazon) recently launched public robotaxi rides in Las Vegas — the first commercially available fleet of purpose‑built, steering‑wheel‑free AVs.
- Tesla announced it is launching its Robotaxi app in Miami, Houston, Dallas, Phoenix, and Las Vegas.
These developments reflect a shift from experimentation to deployment — raising questions about how and why people will use robotaxis and what infrastructure will support them.
What the Study Revealed: Real Rider Insights
To understand this shift, Ferrovial partnered with Georgia Tech to conduct a survey of robotaxi riders and non-riders in Phoenix, San Francisco, and Los Angeles.
Key findings:
- Experience boosts interest in ownership — After just one ride in a robotaxi, two-thirds (66%) of people said they’d like to own their own self-driving car. Among those who haven’t tried a robotaxi but are open to it, about 4 in 10 (39%) said they’d want one. The difference shows how much the experience matters. On the other hand, more than 20% of people don’t want to try a robotaxi at all—and in that group, only 4% are interested in owning a self-driving car.
- Infrastructure matters — 36–46% of respondents said having the option to travel faster by using reserved lanes in a robotaxi will make them more likely to choose it for a given trip, regardless of other ride options.
- Over half (55–63%) are confident that robotaxis will properly follow traffic rules (i.e.: stop signs, signals, speed limits) and 42% are confident that they will react safely to unexpected events — signaling the need for cities to invest in future-ready infrastructure that supports AV and robotaxi adoption.
- AVs are about more than just commutes — Over half (54%) of people who want to own an AV would rent it out to others through services like Turo or Airbnb. And nearly 6 in 10 (59%) are open to using robotaxis for errands—like sending laundry to the dry cleaner and back—without ever riding in the car themselves.
These research insights suggest that public acceptance and use of AVs depend on a variety of factors, including technology, infrastructure design, and performance.
Why This Matters for Ferrovial & Infrastructure Planning
Ferrovial has long been at the forefront of highway innovation in the U.S. Through its express‑lane projects — including I-66 Express Outside the Beltway in Virginia, TEXpress Lanes in Texas and I-77 Express in North Carolina — Ferrovial has shown how thoughtful design and public‑private models can deliver congestion relief, improved mobility, and long-term value.
As robotaxis become more common, we see an opportunity — and a responsibility — to ensure that highway infrastructure evolves in tandem:
- Roadways and managed lanes designed for autonomy — which means clearer signage, consistent lane markings, dedicated access zones, and safety features conducive to AV operation.
- Integration readiness — from charging infrastructure for electric AVs, to data-driven traffic management, to multimodal connectivity (park‑and‑rides, transit links, last‑mile access).
- Performance-based planning — using empirical data (like our rider survey) to shape infrastructure upgrades, capacity planning, and user‑experience design.
The future of mobility is about integrating technology into systems that work for people, communities, and cities.
The Industry Is Moving
With companies like Waymo, Zoox, and Tesla scaling up rapidly, Ferrovial and our public agency partners need to think proactively. As recent coverage shows, robotaxis are becoming active players in the mobility landscape.
Our collaboration with Georgia Tech offers a glimpse of how infrastructure planning, managed lanes, and highway design must evolve to meet changing behavior, new modes, and shifting expectations.
“The partnership brings fresh perspectives that make our research more impactful. Their team is deeply engaged, respectful of academic independence, and committed to turning ideas into solutions. My students and I feel energized by our collaboration and the knowledge that our research has real-world impact.” – Patricia Mokhtarian, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Georgia Institute of Technology
Together, we can plan and build infrastructure with the future of mobility in mind.
