Empty Waymos invade Atlanta neighborhood, keep circling cul-de-sac

Channel 2 Action News reporter Steve Gehlbach went to one street where neighbors say they want the Waymos to stop.

Residents on Battleview Drive said they started seeing the autonomous, driverless cars about two months ago, but the groups and large numbers of Waymos just circling in and out started only the past couple of weeks.

The neighbors shared videos of the cars with Channel 2.

The Waymos are empty and not picking up anyone, and parents are worried, saying it’s not just excessive, but also dangerous.

“We’re families. We have small animals and pets, got kids getting on the bus in the morning, and it just doesn’t feel safe to have that traffic,” a resident told Channel 2.

The residents said they’d reached out to Waymo and got no response, so they also contacted their City Council member, representatives and the Georgia Department of Transportation.

The neighbors said they don’t know what to do.

“We would like to just see them stay on main traffic roads,” the resident said. “I don’t think there’s any reason for them to be on small, residential cul-de-sacs if they’re not picking up somebody.”

Channel 2 saw only one Waymo circling the area around midmorning, and someone was in the driver’s seat.

Waymo responded to Gehlbach with the following statement:

“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 article originally appeared on Channel 2 Action News.