We currently only operate the public service in Phoenix and San Francisco. There isn't a wait list in Phoenix, anyone can ride, but there is in San Francisco. So... technically they're currently independent.
But our goal in any new area would be to focus on the people that live there, because they would use the service regularly. Of course, the broader goal is no waitlist anywhere :).
Is the waitlist FIFO or does it prioritize? For example, suppose a Googler signed up for the waitlist, and since they already have ~all Googlers on it, they won't get access before 2026. Could they get access faster by quitting their job, deleting their Waymo account, then re-enrolling as unemployed?
But our goal in any new area would be to focus on the people that live there, because they would use the service regularly. Of course, the broader goal is no waitlist anywhere :).