- Waymo has partnered with Waze to bring cities a little more information about potholes.
- The two Alphabet-owned companies will offer the data for free, and regular drivers will see the reports, too.
- The pilot program will debut in five cities in the U.S., with more scheduled to join the list.
Waymo’s robotaxis will lend a helping hand to several cities in the United States, making it easier for local governments to identify and fix potholes. The Alphabet-owned company’s driverless taxis will automatically report potholes on Waze, which is also owned by Alphabet, and the data will be available for free for drivers and state Departments of Transportation.
The robotaxi company said its vehicles will use their perception and physical feedback systems to detect and provide up-to-date information on potholes where they operate. The pilot program will kick off in five cities—the San Francisco Bay Area and the Los Angeles, Phoenix, Austin, and Atlanta metropolitan areas.
Waymo will expand the partnership to more cities, including those where the winter weather makes potholes worse. So far, the robotaxi operator has identified approximately 500 potholes in the five cities where the collaboration with Waze is kicking off.
Cities and state DOTs can use the free Waze for Cities platform to identify and fix potholes faster. The website integrates reports submitted by Waymos, as well as user-reported pothole information, making it easier for local governments to improve their road network.
According to Waymo, many cities in the U.S. still rely on non-emergency 311 reports from residents and manual inspections to handle their pothole problems. It also means that the roads where Waymo’s robotaxis operate will be better maintained, leading to more comfort for riders.
The pilot program is based on feedback from city officials over the years, and it’s intended to help fill reporting gaps. But just because Waymos will report potholes on Waze, it doesn’t guarantee that cities will actually fix them.
“We’re always looking for innovative ways to deliver better services for residents, including our own work using object detection through cameras on City vehicles,” said San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan. “As Waymo’s autonomous fleet travels across San Jose, we appreciate the collaboration with Waymo and Waze as we explore how technology can help identify issues like potholes faster so we can respond more efficiently.”
Just like with any other Waze report, drivers can verify the Waymo-identified potholes, increasing the data’s accuracy.
