Residents in an Atlanta neighborhood say their mornings now begin with empty robotaxis slowly looping through their cul-de-sac before sunrise.
According to a report by WSBTV, residents along Battleview Drive said Waymo vehicles have spent recent weeks repeatedly circling their dead-end street, sometimes in large waves between 6 a.m. and 7 a.m. One resident estimated about 50 vehicles passed through in a single hour.
“On a dead-end street, Waymo after Waymo after Waymo drive on, usually early in the morning,” one resident told WSB-TV.
Residents said Waymo vehicles first appeared about two months ago, but the constant circling intensified recently. The vehicles were reportedly empty and not picking up passengers.
In an attempt to keep the driverless vehicles out, a resident placed a children’s street sign near the road. However, this reportedly caused several Waymos to become stuck while attempting to turn around.
“We had, at one point, eight Waymos that were stuck trying to figure out how to turn around,” another resident said.
According to Waymo, the company uses a partner to manage fleet positioning in Atlanta, and it is working with that partner to prevent similar routing behavior in the future.
“At Waymo, we are committed to being good neighbors,” the company said. “We take community feedback seriously and have already worked with our fleet partner to address this routing behavior.”
This latest incident follows earlier complaints in 2024, when residents in San Francisco complained that Waymo cars repeatedly honked overnight while clustering near parking lots and staging areas.
The complaints come as Waymo and other autonomous vehicle companies face increasing scrutiny over how their systems operate in public spaces and how much human control goes on behind the scenes.
Earlier this year, lawmakers questioned Waymo executives about the company’s use of remote human assistance operators, including some located overseas. Waymo has said remote workers provide guidance rather than direct control.