ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Self-driving car company Waymo has confirmed it is mapping roads in parts of Northern Virginia, even though the company said it does not currently have plans to launch a ride-hailing service in Virginia. In a statement to WUSA9, Waymo said the mapping work is happening in Alexandria and Arlington as part of early preparations in case Virginia lawmakers eventually authorize fully autonomous ride-hailing. “We are actively working to bring the safety and mobility benefits of our service to the public in Washington, D.C.,” Waymo officials said. “We are currently mapping in Northern Virginia as an important preparatory step should the Commonwealth authorize fully autonomous ride-hailing, but we do not currently have plans for a service in Virginia.” The company said mapping involves trained specialists manually driving vehicles through a specific area. Waymo officials said it is also engaging with state and city officials. The update comes as Waymo continues working toward launching its autonomous ride-hailing service in the District. Company officials said it has already mapped every ward in Washington, D.C., and has autonomously driven hundreds of thousands of miles in the city. Waymo expected to invest tens of millions of dollars in local jobs and infrastructure to support its D.C. service., a spokesperson said. Virginia law does not currently authorize fully autonomous ride-hailing. Waymo said it supported SB670, a bill sponsored by Virginia Sen. Saddam Salim, which would have addressed autonomous vehicle operations in the Commonwealth. For now, Northern Virginia residents may see Waymo vehicles on the road as part of the mapping process, but the company emphasized that those vehicles are being driven manually by trained specialists. Waymo currently serves 11 major U.S. metropolitan areas, according to the company, and provides more than 500,000 rides every week. The company says it is also working to