Waymo Halts Freeway Services Amid Safety Enhancements
Waymo has temporarily halted its freeway operations across the United States, affecting locations such as Phoenix. This decision is part of an effort to refine its software, particularly around construction and flood-prone zones. Notably, this pause does not impact Waymo’s surface street services.
Following an incident where an unoccupied Waymo robotaxi became stranded in floodwaters in Atlanta, the company had already stopped its operations in that city. This latest announcement extends those precautions to freeway services nationwide.
Last November, Waymo publicly declared its intention to expand its services to include freeway operations in areas like Phoenix. This marked a significant step in their autonomous vehicle expansion strategy. Details are available in a report from KJZZ from that time.
While a specific date for resuming freeway operations has not been announced, Waymo indicated in a statement provided to Reuters that it “expects to resume these routes soon.”
