Waymo, Waze team up to help fix Seattle's potholes

SEATTLE - Waymo and Waze are testing a new program to help fix Seattle's dreaded potholes.

What we know:

Waymo, the self-driving rideshare service, will detect and collect data on pothole locations through their autonomous vehicles. That data is then shared with city and state transportation departments using Waze's GPS software. 

11 May 2023, USA, San Francisco: A self-driving car from Googles sister company Waymo is on the road in San Francisco. Waymo vehicles will first become available this year in the U.S. city of Phoenix with ride service provider Uber. (to dpa: "Robot c

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Waze also includes user-reported pothole information, giving officials a better view of street and highway conditions to plan repairs. Additionally, Waze users will be alerted on the app if they are approaching a pothole.

The pothole-detecting program is launching in the five U.S. cities Waymo currently operates in: San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Austin and Atlanta. Seattle is expected to be added in the future, though a timeline has not been announced.

What they're saying:

"Waymo is already making roads safer where we operate. We want to build on the safety benefits of our service by partnering with organizations and city officials to help improve the infrastructure we all depend on," said Arielle Fleisher, Waymo's policy development and research manager. "Waymo’s mission is to be the world’s most trusted driver; we’re also committed to becoming a trusted partner to the cities we serve."

The Seattle Department of Transportation fills between 15,000 and 25,000 potholes each year, reaching a five-year high of 25,000 in 2023. Washington has previously been ranked as the worst state for potholes in the U.S.

What's next:

Waymo has not established a launch date for when the ride-hailing service will become available in Seattle, but continues to test its self-driving cars in the area. The company also has plans to expand in more than a dozen other U.S. cities, along with London and Tokyo.

Waymo test cars spotted in Seattle

FOX 13 spotted Waymo test vehicles in the Northgate light rail station parking lot ahead of the robotaxi service's launch in the Metro area.

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