Waymo cars circle Atlanta cul‑de‑sac

Waymo said it had fixed a routing problem after empty robotaxis repeatedly drove through cul-de-sacs in an Atlanta neighborhood, prompting complaints from residents and coverage by local television stations. Residents on Battleview Drive in Buckhead told WSB-TV that the cars had been appearing for about two months, with the heaviest clustering starting in recent weeks. One resident said about 50 Waymo vehicles came through between 6 and 7 a.m. on a recent morning. In a statement carried by ABC News and local outlets, Waymo said it was “committed to being good neighbors” and had “already worked with our fleet partner to address this routing behavior.” ### Which Atlanta street were residents talking about? Battleview Drive in northwest Atlanta was the street named in local reports. WSB-TV said residents there had filmed empty Waymo vehicles driving down the street, looping through a cul-de-sac and heading back out. ABC News, citing WSB-TV and Storyful video, reported the same pattern. (wsbtv.com) Buckhead residents told local reporters the activity was not limited to a single dead end. One neighbor told WSB-TV, “It’s almost every little cul-de-sac in our area,” and said the traffic had become a problem for families with children, pets and morning school-bus routines. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, republishing Channel 2 reporting, said residents described the larger groups of cars as a development of the past couple of weeks. (wsbtv.com) ### How many cars did neighbors say they saw? WSB-TV quoted one resident as saying roughly 50 Waymo vehicles passed through between 6 a.m. and 7 a.m. on one morning. That figure became the clearest measure of the scale described by neighbors, who said the cars were empty and not stopping to pick up passengers. ABC News repeated that account in its report. (wsbtv.com) One resident also told WSB-TV that placing a neon Step2Kid sign in the street kept the vehicles from entering the cul-de-sac, but created a backup instead. The neighbor said eight Waymo cars at one point were left trying to figure out how to turn around. ### What did Waymo say caused it? (wsbtv.com) Waymo said the behavior was a routing issue. In the statement quoted by WSB-TV and ABC News, the company said it took the feedback seriously and had already worked with its fleet partner to address it. The company did not publicly detail the technical cause in the reports reviewed. (wsbtv.com) 11Alive reported that Waymo attributed the Atlanta circling to “fleet positioning” issues. That station said the company had addressed the problem after residents raised concerns about cars repeatedly moving through the neighborhood. ### Why were empty Waymo cars in Atlanta in the first place? (wsbtv.com) June 23, 2025 was the date Uber said Atlantans could start being matched with Waymo autonomous vehicles through the Uber app. Uber said the service launched across 65 square miles of Atlanta, including Buckhead, and that riders requesting UberX, Comfort or Comfort Electric could be matched with a Waymo vehicle at no extra cost. (11alive.com) September 13, 2024 was the date Waymo and Uber announced their expanded partnership for Austin and Atlanta. Waymo said Uber would manage and dispatch the fleet in those cities, while Waymo would remain responsible for the self-driving system, roadside assistance and some rider support. Reuters reported at the Atlanta launch in June 2025 that the service was limited to surface streets and would start with dozens of vehicles, with plans to grow over time. (uber.com) ### What did residents do when Waymo did not respond? WSB-TV reported that residents said they had reached out to Waymo and, at that point, had not received a response. Neighbors told the station they also contacted their city council member, other representatives and the Georgia Department of Transportation. (waymo.com) ABC News said residents wanted the robotaxis kept to main roads if they were not actively picking up passengers. The complaint in the local reports was not about a collision or injury, but about repeated early-morning traffic on small residential streets. ### What happens next in Atlanta? Atlanta service remains live through Uber, and Uber said at launch that the operating area covered 65 square miles stretching from Downtown to Buckhead to Capitol View. (wsbtv.com) Waymo said in its statement that it had already addressed the routing behavior raised by Battleview Drive residents. The next test for the companies will be whether those neighborhood complaints stop as service continues in Atlanta. (uber.com) (abcnews.com)