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[Digital Today AI Reporter] Waymo is partnering with the navigation app Waze to build a system that delivers pothole data detected by its self-driving cars to local governments.
On the 31st (local time), online outlet Gigazine reported that the system uses Waze’s ‘Waze for Cities’ platform to share road-condition information with each city’s transportation and transit departments, helping local governments prioritize and schedule repairs based on that data.
Waymo says that when one of its vehicles approaches a pothole, an alert is posted in Waze for Cities, which can improve safety for road users. The company adds that Waze’s existing user-reporting tools allow people to verify potholes Waymo identifies, which should increase the accuracy of the data.
Waymo says it has identified roughly 500 potholes so far. The company is also exploring ways to incorporate feedback from cities so it can supply more practical data in the areas it serves.
Matt Mahan, mayor of San Jose, California, said the system can locate potholes faster than inspection crews or cameras mounted on municipal vehicles.
Rachel Gordon, a spokesperson for San Francisco Public Works, said Waymo’s data could complement the city’s phone-based reporting system and field inspection teams.
Critics, however, note that because Waymo vehicles operate primarily in urban and tourist areas, coverage in suburban neighborhoods may be limited.
Gordon said, “City agencies must consider geographic equity, but private companies don’t have that obligation.”
Some observers were more critical. Jeffrey Tumlin, the former director of San Francisco’s transportation agency, said the pilot missed an opportunity to forge meaningful collaboration with the public works crews responsible for road maintenance.
Tumlin argued the city already knows where many potholes are and that the real problem is chronic underfunding for road repairs. He also noted that as autonomous vehicles displace private cars, the city has lost parking-fee revenue, which has contributed to budget shortfalls.
Waymo described the plan as an effort to improve road safety in the areas it serves.
Ariel Fleisher, policy development and research manager, said, “We will work with local governments and public agencies to support infrastructure improvements and enhance service safety.”
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