Waymo and Waze have announced a pilot programme designed to provide cities with additional data on road surface conditions, focusing on pothole detection and reporting.
The initiative uses data from Waymo’s autonomous vehicle fleet to identify potholes in areas where its vehicles operate. This information will be shared with local authorities through the free-to-use Waze for Cities platform, alongside pothole reports submitted by Waze users.
The aim is to give transport authorities a broader set of inputs when planning road maintenance.
Cities and state departments of transport will be able to access the data through Waze for Cities, a platform that aggregates road condition reports. Combining vehicle sensor data with user reports is intended to help authorities identify road defects more consistently than relying solely on manual inspections or public 311-style reporting systems.
The data will also be integrated into the Waze application in participating locations. Users will be notified when approaching a reported pothole and will be able to confirm or challenge reports, contributing to data verification.
Arielle Fleisher, a policy manager at Waymo, said:Waymo is already making roads safer where we operate. We want to build on the safety benefits of our service by partnering with organisations and city officials to help improve the infrastructure we all depend on. 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.
The pilot will begin in five metro areas where Waymo operates: the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Austin, and Atlanta. These locations have also been used to trial the system, with Waymo reporting that its fleet has already identified several hundred potholes across these locations.
Over time, the companies plan to assess expansion to additional cities, including regions affected by seasonal freeze–thaw conditions that can increase road surface deterioration.
Andrew Stober, Strategic Partner Manager at Waze said:For years, drivers on Waze have helped each other by reporting potholes for a smoother, safer ride. 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. It's a great example of how working together helps our community and makes our roads better for everyone.
