Why a fleet of self-driving Waymo SUVs flooded a quiet Atlanta street

ATLANTA – Some residents of the Buckhead neighborhood in Atlanta got “Waymo” than they expected as a seemingly endless of completely empty, fully autonomous, self-driving robotaxis entered their dead-end road.

What we know:

Videos taken along Battleview Drive shows more than a dozen modified, all-electric Jaguar I-PACE SUVs traveling in one direction along the roadway, turning around at the cul-de-sac and heading back out the same way they entered the neighborhood.

The vehicle fleet does stage in certain heavily traveled areas to quickly respond to demand, the company told FOX 5 Atlanta. A spokesperson admitted that this shouldn’t come at the expense of the neighborhood’s peace of mind.

What they’re saying:

In a statement, a spokesperson for Waymo wrote:

“At Waymo, we are committed to being good neighbors. We take community feedback seriously and have already worked with our fleet partner to address this routing behavior. With over 500,000 weekly trips across the country, our service is proven to significantly reduce traffic injuries and improve road safety. We value our relationship with Atlanta residents and remain focused on providing a seamless, respectful, and safe experience for riders and residents alike.”

Driverless vehicles take over Buckhead neighborhood

Video shows the driverless cars entering Battleview Drive, turning around at the dead end, and leaving. Waymo apologized and stated they are working with their fleet partner to fix the routing error. (Credit: Storyful)

What we don’t know:

The company did not clarify what specific routing behavior caused the vehicle fleet to target Battleview Drive or how many total vehicles were impacted by the routing error.

What’s next:

Waymo says it is working closely with its rideshare partners to ensure this type of behavior does not keep happening.