Overview
- Residents in northwest Atlanta shared videos Friday showing waves of empty Waymo SUVs circling a Battleview Drive cul-de-sac, with one neighbor counting about 50 passes between 6 and 7 a.m.
- The cars were not picking up riders and appeared to idle through side streets, and a homemade sign placed in the road led to eight vehicles getting stuck as they tried to turn around.
- Neighbors said they reached out to Waymo, city officials, and the Georgia Department of Transportation but struggled to get help, raising worries for kids at bus stops, pets, and blocked driveways.
- Waymo said it had already worked with its Atlanta fleet partner to correct the routing and explained that its vehicles stage near high-demand areas or seek on-street parking when idle.
- The cluster of cars adds pressure on the company as it recalls about 3,800 vehicles for a software issue with standing water and faces broader reviews of robotaxi behavior in other cities.