Waymo halts all U.S. freeway robotaxi operations after navigation failures

Waymo halted robotaxi freeway trips across the United States on Thursday while it updates software after vehicles struggled in some construction-zone configurations. The Alphabet-owned company said surface-street service remains active, and it expects to resume freeway routes soon. The pause came as Waymo was also broadening its driverless footprint in the Bay Area, including new pickup zones in Cupertino, Campbell and parts of San Jose. The two moves put a national safety fix and a local commercial rollout on the same day. ### Why did Waymo stop freeway rides if the rest of the service is still running? Waymo said on May 21 that it had “temporarily paused freeway operations” as it works to integrate “recent technical learnings” into its software. A company spokesperson told Fox Business that safety is Waymo’s top priority for riders and other road users, and said the halt applies only to freeway driving. The Hill, citing Waymo, said the company identified “an opportunity to improve performance in specific freeway construction zone configurations.” Reuters reported the company suspended robotaxi freeway service nationwide while updating software around construction zones and, separately, paused operations in Atlanta over flooded-roadway performance. ### How broad is the freeway pause? Fox Business reported the pause covers all U.S. freeway robotaxi operations. (foxbusiness.com) Reuters described it as a suspension of Waymo’s robotaxi service on freeways in the United States, while noting that Atlanta service was also paused as part of a separate software update tied to flooded roadways. TechCrunch reported the freeway suspension followed cases in which Waymo robotaxis struggled in construction zones. (thehill.com) The outlet also said the company had paused operations in Atlanta and San Antonio after vehicles drove into flooded streets. ### What exactly did Waymo say about the construction-zone problem? Waymo said its vehicles navigate construction zones more than 10,000 times each day, according to The Hill’s report on the company statement. (foxbusiness.com) The company said it chose to pause freeway operations while it evaluates the issue and works on improvements. TechCrunch reported Waymo expects to resume those routes soon after software changes are integrated. (techcrunch.com) Fox Business separately reported that surface-street operations remain active in affected markets during the update period. ### Why was Waymo expanding in the South Bay at the same time? Waymo started picking up riders on May 21 in Cupertino, Campbell, and the San Jose neighborhoods of Willow Glen and Vista Park, according to the East Bay Times report that mirrored Mercury News reporting. (thehill.com) Senior Product Lead Shweta Srivastava said in a statement that Waymo’s “land and expand” approach is intended to connect with more riders for commutes, errands and events. (techcrunch.com) Local reports said the latest Bay Area expansion covers about 60 square miles and brings Waymo’s regional service area to more than 330 square miles. NBC Bay Area reported earlier that the company planned to move beyond central San Jose into those neighborhoods and cities in the coming weeks. ### What should riders watch next? Waymo said it expects to resume freeway routes soon, but did not give a date. (eastbaytimes.com) The next concrete change for riders will likely appear either in Waymo app coverage maps for freeway-enabled trips or in company statements about the software update and Atlanta restart. In the Bay Area, Cupertino, Campbell, Willow Glen and Vista Park were added to the service footprint on May 21, and local coverage reports said East Bay expansion plans remain unresolved. (localnewsmatters.org) (eastbaytimes.com) (foxbusiness.com)