Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego Touts Waymo and The CHIPS Act

One of the major hallmarks of Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego’s time in office is her, and the members of the Phoenix City Council, commitment to charting a green sustainable and technological future for the fifth largest city in the United States.

Their actions have included:

• Major tree planting initiatives.
• The pouring of lighter-colored asphalt to combat extreme heat.
• Revising building plans to allow for the use of more solar panels.
• The luring of Tawain Semiconductor to Phoenix.
• The emergence of a growing bioscience sector.
• An electrification plan that includes the purchase of public electric vehicles like buses and the installation of electric vehicle chargers.

Over the last two days, Mayor Gallego has touted two measures that will further help Phoenix become a technological and sustainability  Mecca for the Southwest.

The first was the Mayor taking a “rider only” trip in a Waymo Vehicle. Ms. Gallego has previously expressed support for this mode of transportation in the past and took the opportunity to try it out yesterday, August 29, 2022.

I had the opportunity to take my first rider only trip with the #WaymoDriver, @Waymo’s fully autonomous driving technology. Phoenicians, I can’t wait for you to experience it for yourselves! Check out the Waymo One app to learn more. #thefutureisphoenix https://t.co/dWVOa2jEAK pic.twitter.com/ODhWBbJkSw

— Mayor Kate Gallego (@MayorGallego) August 29, 2022

Commenting after the ride, Mayor Gallego relayed:

“Since the day I was elected, I’ve emphasized innovation in Phoenix, and Waymo’s investment in our city puts us on the road to a future with new green jobs. The electric-autonomous fleet of Jaguars aligns with our “EV Roadmap” as we chart a path to 280,000 electric vehicles on Phoenix streets by 2030. EV and autonomous adoption will drive new skills development and training, which is already underway through programs such as Route to Relief recently launched with the Maricopa County Community Colleges for the benefit of residents seeking to upskill or pivot into new careers. Phoenix is prepared and leading the way.”

Today, the Mayor met with Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, Arizona Senator Mark Kelly, Representative (and former Phoenix Mayor) Greg Stanton, and Arizona State University President Michael Crow to celebrate the benefits the recently passed CHIPS Act will have for the Phoenix area, including the creation of over 5,000 jobs.

Talking CHIPS Act, semiconductors and talent with @SecRaimondo, @SenMarkKelly, @RepGregStanton, and @michaelcrow. Phoenix is the epicenter for semiconductor excellence, and @ASU is vital to provide world-class training for the 5,000+ jobs projected in our region. pic.twitter.com/jdrmhl5q1m

— Mayor Kate Gallego (@MayorGallego) August 30, 2022

When the CHIPS Act passed last month, Mayor Gallego commented:

“I appreciate the strong leadership by Arizona’s Senators Mark Kelly and Kyrsten Sinema to advance this bipartisan bill. I want to thank the Arizona US Representatives who are working to move the bill forward as soon as possible, and I hope their colleagues will join them. The passage is vital to advance the diverse economy and high-quality jobs I am focused on in Phoenix and our region. We are fast becoming the United States epicenter for semiconductor excellence, complete with jobs and world-class training programs producing top talent. Passage of the CHIPS Act will have lasting impacts for the semiconductor industry and its suppliers, and it is critical to the competitiveness and innovation economy in Arizona and throughout the country.”

Please click here to read Phoenix’s Electrification Plan.