May 15 (UPI) — Residents of an Atlanta neighborhood said empty, self-driving Waymo cars have been flooding into their cul-de-sacs by the dozens.
Neighbors in the Battleview Drive area said they first started noticing robotaxis circling their dead-end roads a couple of months ago, but in the past two weeks the cars have been arriving in large groups, most frequently in the early morning.
“I think yesterday morning, we had 50 cars that came through between 6 and 7,” a resident told WSB-TV.
Residents said they tried using signs to ward the cars away, but it caused them to get stuck trying to turn around.
The neighbors said they are concerned about the safety of their kids and small pets.
“We would like to just see them stay on main traffic roads,” one neighbor said. “I don’t think there’s any reason for them to be on small residential cul-de-sacs if they’re not picking up somebody.”
Waymo released a statement addressing the issue.
“At Waymo, we are committed to being good neighbors. We take community feedback seriously and have already addressed this routing behavior,” the company said. “With over 500,000 weekly trips across the country, our service is proven to significantly reduce traffic injuries and improve road safety. We value our relationship with Atlanta residents and remain focused on providing a seamless, respectful, and safe experience for riders and residents alike.”
Waymo cars have caused traffic problems in Atlanta in the past — in April, three Waymo taxis completely blocked an intersection at a blinking red light.
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