Overview
- Residents on Battleview Drive in Buckhead, in Friday's local reports, described early‑morning streams of empty Waymos, with one count of 50 in an hour and another of 13 in 10 minutes.
- Neighbors tried blocking the cul-de-sac with a small roadside figure, which caused several cars to bunch up as they struggled to turn, heightening worries for kids, pets, and school bus pickups.
- Waymo acknowledged the routing behavior and said it has addressed the pattern, adding that it worked with a fleet partner and remains focused on safe and respectful service.
- The cars were not picking up riders as they looped, reflecting how autonomous fleets sometimes reposition or wait between trips, which can route idle vehicles onto quiet residential streets.
- The episode draws fresh attention to Waymo’s recent software recall of nearly 4,000 vehicles over standing water and to past complaints and oversight interest tied to school buses and traffic disruptions.