Waymo has partially resumed its freeway service after halting it to fix a software issue that prevented its cars from identifying closed construction zones.
The resumption kicks off in Phoenix, where interested customers can join a waitlist through the Waymo app. Other cities where freeway rides were previously available, such as the San Francisco Bay Area, Miami, and Los Angeles, will see the service return soon, the company says.
“Freeways are back! We’re gradually resuming freeway routes for faster rides — starting today in Phoenix, with more cities to follow,” Waymo wrote in an X post on Wednesday.
Waymo launched highway routing in November. The service was initially available in Phoenix, San Francisco, and Los Angeles, and later expanded to Miami. Problems began cropping up in April, Waymo revealed in a June filing with the NHTSA. The AVs failed to recognize freeway construction zones and drove into them at speed, the company said.
Six such incidents were recorded in Phoenix in April, and seven were recorded in San Francisco the following month. No passengers were harmed, but the Alphabet-owned company abruptly halted its freeway service in May and issued a software recall to fix the bug in June.
Although a recent report found that Waymos crash 68% less often than human drivers, they have shown a tendency to freeze when faced with unique, unfamiliar situations, such as crowded Fourth of July celebrations or a city-wide blackout.