A small Georgia neighborhood has been overrun by dozens of empty self-driving cars, aimlessly circling the quaint area as they await their next ride request. White Waymo vehicles—fully autonomous cars operating without anyone behind the wheel—now offer around-the-clock ride-hailing services in dozens of major US cities. However, in a community nestled in northwest Atlanta, these driverless cars have turned a once-quiet cul-de-sac into a Waymo hangout, circling the streets from morning to night.
Residents Voice Safety Concerns
“Our big concern is just the excessive traffic on the street,” one neighbor told Atlanta News First. “You know, we’re families, we have small kids, we have animals and pets, we’ve got kids getting on the bus in the mornings, and it just doesn’t feel safe to have that traffic,” they added. Another resident reported witnessing at least two close calls, with empty cars nearly striking a neighborhood cat and a dog on a leash. “I think yesterday morning we had 50 cars that came through between six and seven,” a third revealed.
Residents said they reached out to Waymo directly but have not yet received any response or explanation as to why their vehicles are habitually gathering on their block.
A Dystopian Scene Unfolds
On Thursday, neighbors living on the well-groomed cul-de-sac on Battleview Drive raised concerns about what they described as a dystopian scene unfolding outside their doorstep, which has escalated over the past two weeks. In one video obtained by WSB-TV, a Waymo car enters the cul-de-sac as another departs, circling a tree in the center before exiting—only for the pattern to repeat again and again like a revolving door. Other videos showed a total of 13 driverless vehicles cruising through the community in just 10 minutes.
One resident put up a neon yellow “Step2Kid” sign in the street, though the outcome was even more disastrous. “We had, at one point, eight Waymos that were stuck trying to figure out how to turn around,” a neighbor told the outlet. A clip showed dozens of identical white vehicles packed along a dead-end street, nearly bumper to bumper, seemingly waiting to decide their next move in or out of the neighborhood. Parents, pet owners, and homeowners alike noted that the cars, which begin cluttering the streets early in the morning, are consistently empty and not picking up passengers.
Seeking Answers
The unofficial Waymo meeting ground stretches beyond Battleview Drive’s cul-de-sac into nearby communities, including Fernleaf Circle and the area near the Glenridge Woods Townhomes—private property nearby. “It’s almost every little cul-de-sac in our area, so I think it’s a problem,” a resident said. Deborah Childers, who lives on nearby private property, told Atlanta News First she first began noticing the cars last week while out walking her dog Hazel. “I’m just hoping that Waymo will only come in our neighborhood when they’re called, like an Uber, you know, not use our neighborhood as a holding area or a training ground,” Childers said. “It’s enough of them that it’s bothersome. It’s not like one. It’s like three or maybe four. They do the same loop.”
After receiving no response from the company, residents turned to local representatives for help. “They kind of passed the buck to the next person,” one Battleview neighbor told Atlanta News First. “Then we’ve tried state representatives, haven’t heard back from them. We tried GDOT, haven’t heard back from them. We really just don’t know what to do about it.”
Waymo Responds
In a statement to the outlet, a Waymo spokesperson said, “At Waymo, we are committed to being good neighbors. We take community feedback seriously and have already addressed this routing behavior. 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.”
This incident comes as Waymo recently recalled thousands of robotaxis across the US following an incident in which a self-driving car was swept into a creek in San Antonio, Texas. In a notice posted on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website, the company announced a “voluntary recall” on nearly 3,800 cars using Waymo’s fifth and sixth generation self-driving systems. Waymo said the move was prompted by a software issue that could allow vehicles to drive onto flooded roads, leading to a loss of control and increasing crash risk. A solution is currently under development.
