Hitting potholes while driving is never fun. They can cause headaches, car accidents and damage to your vehicle, culminating in a frustrating commute. Waymo, the robotaxi company, and Waze, the free, community-driven GPS navigation app, have come together to do something about potholes.
On Thursday, the two companies announced a joint venture to target potholes that need patching. The new data-sharing pilot program will collect information on troublesome road conditions and communicate the necessary fixes to the city.
Waymo operates in 11 cities, and the pilot program will begin in five major markets: Austin, Texas; Atlanta; Los Angeles; Phoenix and the San Francisco Bay Area, with plans to expand to more cities in the future. So far, Waymo says it has tracked 500 potholes in the Bay Area alone.
“As Waymo’s autonomous fleet travels across San Jose, we appreciate the collaboration with Waymo and Waze as we explore how technology can help identify issues like potholes faster so we can respond more efficiently,” San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan said in an emailed statement.
Departments of Transportation for each city and state will be able to access this pothole information through the Waze for Cities app. Waymo stated in its blog post that the initial idea for this program was inspired by city officials who expressed the need for a better way to ensure safe road conditions.
Most cities still learn about road issues from residents — through either dialing 311 or using the my311 app — or via manual road inspections. This method has resulted in inadequate fixes and an incomplete understanding of a neighborhood’s road health and the resources needed to maintain it.
Waymo’s robotaxis use autonomous driving technology, including an array of high-end cameras, lidar, radar and other tracking sensors, making them the perfect platform for collecting road data.
Waze customers in cities where Waymo operates will also be able to view this data directly in the app, which is noteworthy given that Waze operates on a user-based reporting system to identify troublesome road conditions. You can already receive pothole data and locations in the app, but adding Waymo’s tracking data will help verify the data and improve the app’s accuracy.
“For years, drivers on Waze have helped each other by reporting potholes for a smoother, safer ride,” Andrew Stober, Waze strategic partner manager, said in the blog post. “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.”
A Waymo representative didn’t immediately respond to a request for further comment.