Waymo just suspended freeway driving across all its US markets over construction zone safety concerns, while also pausing service in Atlanta and San Antonio following flooded-road issues. The pullback comes right after a fleet-wide software recall for speeding through flooded streets in Texas. Local road service continues, but highway trips are offline indefinitely.
Waymo just announced plans to launch its Waymo One driverless ridehailing service in Washington, DC by 2026. The major roadblock is local law, which currently requires a human behind the wheel for testing and bans driverless commercial operations entirely. If regulators clear the way, the fleet—which already logs 200,000 paid rides weekly—will roll directly into the nation's capital.
Waymo just scrapped its waitlist in Los Angeles, opening up 24/7 driverless rides to anyone with the Waymo One app. The service spans nearly 80 square miles across Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, and Downtown LA. It marks Waymo's second fully public metro rollout after San Francisco, pulling ahead while rivals like Cruise and Zoox play catch-up.
Uber just rolled out Waymo driverless vehicles to passengers in Metro Phoenix. Riders booking UberX or Uber Comfort can now get matched with a fully autonomous Waymo vehicle without needing a separate app. The launch comes right as competitor Cruise suffers a permit suspension, giving Waymo a massive distribution boost.
