Philadelphia doesn’t have control over Waymo’s operations in the city, so who will?
Philadelphia officials have questioned management because state rules allow Waymo to operate and pick up and drop off passengers, despite the city’s concerns.
Atlanta residents and visitors are all too familiar with the incursion of self-driving cars into the city.
Waymo has been operating in Atlanta for most of the year, gradually expanding its fleet and mapping parts of the city. Uber users can hail a Waymo vehicle whenever they want a ride in the city, and people are often seen waiting for rides outside major sporting events and concerts.
But now, in some parts of the city’s northwest, parades of empty Waymo vehicles are arriving at dead-end streets in the mornings, and officials say they don’t know why.
Dozens of Waymo vehicles appear nearby
Residents of a cul-de-sac on Battleview Drive, just west of Interstate 75 on the city’s north side, told local news outlets they recorded more than a dozen Waymo vehicles driving through their neighborhood early in the morning without any passengers on board.
One resident told WSB-TV that as many as 50 vehicles entered the neighborhood between 6 a.m. and 7 a.m. Sunday.
Video obtained by Atlanta News First shows 13 Waymo vehicles passing by a home within 10 minutes.
At one point, residents tried to block vehicles by placing a traffic sign in the middle of the road, leaving up to eight vehicles stuck trying to figure out how to turn around.
Residents told local media that the problem had worsened over the past few weeks and that they tried to explain to Waymo why the vehicles kept showing up but initially received no response. Residents are concerned that their neighborhoods are being chosen as locations for Waymo vehicles to be trained or stored during off-peak hours.
In a statement to WSB-TV, Waymo said the company is “committed to being a good neighbor.”
“We take community feedback seriously and have already addressed this routing behavior. With more than 500,000 weekly trips nationwide, our service is proven to significantly reduce traffic injuries and improve road safety. We value our relationship with Atlantans and remain focused on providing a seamless, respectful and safe experience for both our passengers and residents,” the company said.
Waymo has had problems in Atlanta before.
This is not the first time that trust between Atlantans and self-driving car services has been tested.
In February, a Waymo vehicle was videotaped entering a crime scene in Atlanta. An 11Alive reporter filmed the vehicle passing police cars and emergency vehicles before coming to a stop on the road.
Asked about the incident, Waymo told USA TODAY the vehicle was driving through a parking lot and entered an unblocked lane. When the vehicle recognized the emergency vehicle, it stopped and a roadside assistance team was called, per Waymo protocol.
Last year, Atlanta Public Schools reported six incidents in which Waymo vehicles passed parked school buses.
Waymo previously announced a software update aimed at improving vehicle safety around buses, but incidents continued to occur in other cities, including Austin, Texas, even after the update, according to a letter from the school district. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is investigating the incident.
Eileen Wright is an Atlanta Connect reporter for USA Today’s Deep South Connect team. X Find her at @IreneEWright or email her at ismith@usatodayco.com.
