Waymo Halts Freeway Service in 4 Cities to Implement Improvements

Robotaxi service Waymo has suspended freeway service in multiple cities as it works to improve driverless taxi performance in construction zones.

The announcement, which was confirmed by The Epoch Times via a company spokesperson on May 22, doesn’t cite any specific reason why the company decided to halt freeway service in Miami, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Phoenix. Instead, Waymo said it is pausing the service in order to implement performance improvements, especially in areas where highway construction zones could impact autonomous taxi navigation.

“We are committed to being good neighbors for our riders and our communities,” a Waymo spokesperson said in a statement provided to The Epoch Times.

“As part of that commitment, we make proactive decisions including temporarily pausing aspects of our service. We know riders count on us to get around, and we appreciate their patience as we work to get them where they’re going safely and reliably.”

Waymo said that its robotaxis have been driving on freeways for several years. In November, the Alphabet subsidiary launched full robotaxi highway service in San Francisco, Silicon Valley, and the San Francisco Peninsula, as well as Phoenix and Los Angeles, according to a post on its website.

“Expanding our service territory in the Bay Area and introducing freeways is built on real-world performance and millions of miles logged on freeways,” Waymo said in the post.

“This experience, reinforced by comprehensive testing as well as extensive operational preparation, supports the delivery of a safe and reliable service. We’ve also closely collaborated with safety officials to seamlessly support this new phase of service.”

The expansion is an important aspect for Waymo’s ridership growth as it provides faster service to busy airports such as San Francisco International Airport, San Jose Mineta International Airport, and Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix.

The announcement to pause highway service follows Waymo’s decision on May 12 to voluntarily recall its fleet of 3,791 robotaxis following an incident in San Antonio, where a robotaxi entered a flooded street. Waymo subsequently halted robotaxi service in that city, as well as in Nashville and Atlanta, citing the potential for severe regional storms that could lead to flash flooding.

According to a Waymo spokesperson, the company’s robotaxis are capable of navigating periods of intense rainfall, but it made the decision to halt operations altogether to make improvements to its service in light of inclement forecasts across south central Texas, Atlanta, and parts of the southeast through the Memorial Day weekend.

Waymo said it continues to monitor forecasts, alerts, and live weather conditions and will resume serving riders in those areas once the threat of flooding abates.

Waymo said its artificial intelligence-powered vehicles serve more than half a million people each week. To date, Waymo robotaxis have traversed more than 170 million fully autonomous miles.

As it expands in existing markets and rolls out in new ones, Waymo said it will continue to monitor and adjust its operations in light of changing driving conditions or operational challenges.