Waymo and Waze are teaming up to prevent people from driving into potholes.
On Thursday, the companies announced a joint pilot program that will take pothole data collected by Waymo’s robotaxis and display it on Waze for Cities. The robotaxis already have cameras, radar, and other sensors that can be used, among other things, to note potholes.
Waze and Waymo are both owned by Google parent Alphabet.
The tool is an additional means of spotting potholes on Waze. Users have long been able to report any potholes they see through the Waze app.
“This pilot program with Waymo adds another source of data to that effort, giving cities a clearer picture of road conditions through our Waze for Cities platform,” Andrew Stober, strategic partner manager at Waze, said in a release. “It’s a great example of how working together helps our community and makes our roads better for everyone.”
The Waymo-supplied pothole locations should be available to city and state Department of Transportation personnel. Regular drivers will also be able to see the pothole data and verify it.
These features will only be available to people driving through select cities with Waymo robotaxis. Currently, the pilot will launch in the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Austin, and Atlanta. Waymo claims its robotaxis have already identified about 500 potholes across these five areas.
Waymo credits the pilot program with growing out of feedback from city officials—who are not necessarily the company’s biggest fans. Waymo is clearly trying to change that.
“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,” Arielle Fleisher, policy development and research manager at Waymo, said in a release. “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.”
