Empty Waymo cars are converging on one Atlanta cul-de-sac. No one can explain why

"The cars are from robotaxi company Waymo, which has been operating in Atlanta since June of 2025. The company has a fleet of about 100 cars in the city-and when they're not being called to provide rides, some of those Waymos have mysteriously decided to spend their free time circling a few residential streets. One of the neighborhood's residents explained the situation to local news channel WSB-TV, saying that she and her neighbors first started seeing Waymos in the area around two months ago, with larger groups of the cars coming en masse in the past couple weeks."

""It's almost every cul-de-sac around our area, so I think it's a real problem," the resident said. "I think yesterday morning we had 50 cars that came through between 6 and 7." Residents have even tried using a small neon mannequin to block the road and keep Waymos out, but created a massive traffic jam entirely of driverless vehicles in the process. "We had, at one point, eight Waymos that were stuck, trying to figure out how to turn around," the resident said."

"The increased traffic is annoying (and more than a little creepy), but beyond any inconveniences, residents are worried that the vehicles could pose a danger to children in the area. "We have families. We have small kids. We have animals and pets. We've got kids getting on the bus in the morning. And it just doesn't feel safe to have that traffic," the resident said. "We just would like to see them stay on main traffic roads. I don't think there's any reason to be on small residential cul-de-sacs if they're not picking up somebody.""

Waymo has been operating driverless cars in Atlanta since June 2025, with about 100 vehicles in the city. When not called for rides, some cars have been repeatedly driving through nearby residential streets, especially cul-de-sacs. Residents report the activity began around two months ago and intensified in the past couple weeks, with large groups appearing during morning hours. Attempts to block the road with a neon mannequin led to a traffic jam of stuck vehicles trying to turn around. Residents find the situation annoying and unsettling, but the main concern is safety for children, pets, and morning bus riders. They want the cars to remain on main roads and avoid residential cul-de-sacs when not serving passengers.

Read at Fast Company