Self-driving Waymo cars used for Uber rides gathered in a northwest Atlanta neighborhood and repeatedly circled a cul-de-sac. Residents reported that about 50 cars typically drove through the area on a dead-end street in the mornings, starting around March, with aimless circling beginning in recent weeks. When a resident placed a “Step2Kid” sign and blocked the cars from entering the cul-de-sac, eight automated vehicles became stuck while attempting to turn around. Waymo did not initially respond to neighborhood inquiries, and residents worried about safety for children and small animals. Waymo later stated it is committed to being a good neighbor, said it addressed the routing behavior, and cited large-scale trip volume and improved road safety.
"Channel 2 Action News in Atlanta reports that the self-driving Waymo cars that are typically used for Uber rides were gathering in a northwest Atlanta neighborhood and circling a cul-de-sac. One citizen says they estimated that around 50 cars drive through their neighborhoods on a dead-end street, typically in the mornings from 6 to 7 a.m."
"According to folks living on Battleview Drive, this odd, but consistent parade of driverless cars started around March, and the aimless circling around the cul-de-sac began in recent weeks. When one person put a Step2Kid sign in the street and blocked the Waymos from entering the cul-de-sac, it resulted in eight automated cars getting stuck as they tried to "figure out how to turn around.""
"Waymo didn't respond to the neighborhood's attempts to find out what was going on, with several worried that automated cars could hurt some of the kids and animals who live in the area. "We're families, we have small animals and pets, got kids getting on the bus in the morning, and it just doesn't feel safe to have that traffic," a neighbor told Channel 2 Action News."
"Waymo released the following statement to the station: "At Waymo, we are committed to being good neighbors. We take community feedback seriously and have already addressed 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""
Read at Kotaku
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