Waymo Turns Robotaxis into Pothole Detectors

New pilot with Waze gives cities real-time data to fix roads faster.

Apr. 10, 2026 at 11:30pm

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A highly detailed, glowing 3D illustration of a Waymo autonomous vehicle sensor array, with various cameras, lidar, and radar components illuminated by neon cyan and magenta lights against a dark, abstract background, conceptually representing the digital infrastructure that powers Waymo's road detection capabilities.Waymo's sensor-laden autonomous vehicles serve as a network of real-time road inspectors, automatically detecting potholes and other infrastructure issues to help cities respond more quickly.Los Angeles Today

Waymo has announced a partnership with the navigation app Waze to turn its autonomous vehicle fleet into a network of road inspectors, automatically detecting potholes and sharing the data with local municipalities to help them identify and fix road issues more quickly. The pilot program will first launch in five regions where Waymo already operates, including the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Austin, and Atlanta.

Why it matters

This partnership leverages Waymo's sensor technology and Waze's crowdsourcing platform to provide cities with a more comprehensive, real-time view of road conditions. By automating the detection and reporting of potholes, this program could lead to faster response times for road repairs and better allocation of municipal resources, especially in areas that experience higher rates of wear and tear.

The details

Waymo's vehicles use a combination of cameras, sensors, and physical feedback to detect irregularities in the road surface, including potholes that can damage vehicles and endanger cyclists and pedestrians. The data collected by Waymo's fleet will be automatically shared with local agencies through Waze's platform, complementing the crowdsourced reports submitted by everyday drivers. This could reduce the need for traditional reporting methods like 311 calls and manual inspections.

  • The pilot program will first roll out in five regions where Waymo already operates: the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Austin, and Atlanta.
  • Across those areas, Waymo says it has already identified roughly 500 potholes.

The players

Waymo

An autonomous driving company and a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc., Google's parent company.

Waze

A navigation app that uses crowdsourced data to provide real-time traffic information and road conditions.

Matt Mahan

The mayor of San Jose, who highlighted the potential for faster response times and better allocation of resources through this partnership.

Arielle Fleisher

Waymo's policy development and research manager, who stated that the company wants to build on its efforts to make roads safer by partnering with cities to improve infrastructure.

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What they’re saying

“Waymo is already making roads safer where we operate. We want to build on that by partnering with cities to improve the infrastructure we all depend on.”

— Arielle Fleisher, Policy development and research manager, Waymo

“This partnership leverages Waymo's sensor technology and Waze's crowdsourcing platform to provide cities with a more comprehensive, real-time view of road conditions.”

— Matt Mahan, Mayor of San Jose

What’s next

The pilot program is expected to expand over time, particularly into areas that experience higher rates of road wear due to factors like weather.

The takeaway

This partnership between Waymo and Waze demonstrates how autonomous vehicle technology can be leveraged to improve urban infrastructure and provide cities with valuable real-time data to address road maintenance issues more efficiently. As self-driving cars become more prevalent, this type of collaboration could become a model for how municipalities can harness emerging technologies to enhance public services and safety.