APD: Pair of Waymo vehicles behind traffic obstruction in Austin on Sunday; here's why
Waymo and Uber may have been leading the pack in the self-driving space with launches in major cities, including Austin. However, a recent weather occurrence briefly stopped two Waymo vehicles from going the distance, literally.
According to the Austin Police Department, just after 10:15 p.m. Sunday, two Waymo self-driving vehicles were found blocking part of a ramp on the West 15th Street Bridge, near the intersection of North Lamar Boulevard and eastbound West 15th Street.
According to information from Waymo, the cars stopped due to the severe storm conditions over the weekend, prompting the company to pause the ability for Waymo vehicles to accept new trips.
"Waymo's system is designed to respond proactively to extreme weather, and due to the conditions last night, a number of our vehicles pulled over and stopped on the side of the road," read a statement from the company. "Operations resumed once conditions improved. We appreciate the community's understanding and remain committed to safe and reliable transportation."
More: Waymo and Uber's pre-SXSW collaboration launch highlights their commitment to future tech
Beyond a brief traffic imposition, the event caused no harm or damage. Since Uber and Waymo launched the self-driving vehicle service in Austin this month, there have been no major incidents. Moreover, there was an instance last December where a Waymo car was able to swerve around a civilian who suddenly crashed on an electric scooter in front of the self-driving vehicle.
Waymo rides available through Uber are able to serve riders across an area of 37 square miles in Austin. The collaboration between Uber and Waymo became official in 2023, and since then, the duo has created a first-to-market autonomous transportation tool. Ride services from the collaboration are now being administered in Phoenix and Austin, with plans to expand to Atlanta later this year.
Opinion: Austinites should have a say in Waymo driverless robotaxis taking to our streets | Opinion
Austinites, or those visiting the city, are able to change settings in the Uber app to enhance or remove their chances of being matched with a Waymo.
Beck Andrew Salgado covers trending topics in the Austin business ecosystem for the American-Statesman. To share additional tips or insights with Salgado, email Bsalgado@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Here's why two Waymos abruptly pulled over causing traffic in Austin
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