Column: After Argo, there are small signs of hope on the path toward autonomous vehicles

On Feb. 3, Waymo said its vehicles had surpassed 1 million miles driven without a human driver behind the wheel, even as a backup. In Zoox's case, "driverless" goes without saying: Its vehicles have no traditional controls, such as steering wheels or brake pedals. For both Waymo and Cruise, the million-mile milepost might provide a snapshot of the companies' efforts. In December, Waymo more than doubled the size and scope of its service area in downtown Phoenix. For now, service is limited to employees; Cruise awaits a permit from regulators to open that area to paying customers.