Chips & Hardware
Waymo and Waze launch pothole data-sharing pilot
Waymo and Waze have launched a pilot program to share pothole data collected by robotaxis with cities, starting in five initial markets.
On Thursday, Alphabet-owned companies Waymo and Waze announced a data-sharing pilot program. The initiative will funnel pothole data collected by robotaxis—autonomous vehicles operating as taxis—to a free Waze platform designed for cities. Under the program, any city or state where Waymo operates will be able to access this data as the partnership expands. For its initial launch, the pilot program will focus on five initial markets: Austin, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and the San Francisco Bay Area.
In the San Francisco Bay Area, Waymo has already identified about 500 potholes. The robotaxis collect this information using onboard sensors, including cameras, radar, and lidar—a remote sensing technology used by autonomous vehicles. The partnership is expected to expand to more cities over time. This planned expansion comes as Waymo, which already operates commercially in 11 cities, plans to expand its operations to more than 20 cities this year.
By identifying these hazardous road conditions, the pilot program intends to help fill reporting gaps and support cities’ efforts to maintain safer streets.
Transportation experts view the collaboration as a significant step for corporate responsibility on public roadways. Sarah Kaufman, director of the New York University Rudin Center for Transportation, highlighted the civic benefits of the data-sharing effort. “Waymo is showing the good neighbor principle in action: sharing data that helps cities fix problems faster and make streets safer for everyone,” Kaufman said. She added: “It’s a simple step, but it reflects a broader principle of responsibility, that companies operating on public streets can help improve them.” For Waymo, providing this data also serves a strategic purpose, potentially helping the company build goodwill with municipal officials as it scales its operations.
Why it matters
This partnership helps Waymo build goodwill with city officials as it scales operations, while simultaneously filling critical reporting gaps to improve street safety. By sharing data on hazardous road conditions, the company positions its autonomous vehicles as civic assets during its expansion to more than 20 cities this year.