Waymo has suspended robotaxi service on freeways in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix and Miami while it works to improve how its self-driving vehicles handle construction zones, the Alphabet-owned company confirmed to TechCrunch on May 21, 2026. Rides on surface streets in those cities are continuing as normal.
What Waymo paused and why
The company said it is integrating "recent technical learnings" into its software and expects to resume freeway routes soon. Waymo did not cite a specific incident behind the decision, but its robotaxis have been spotted struggling with highway construction zones. On May 19, a rider posted video claiming his Waymo "blasted through cones" and that the vehicle was followed by police, according to TechCrunch's account.
Part of a difficult stretch
The freeway suspension follows a separate round of pauses tied to severe weather, in which Waymo halted service in Atlanta and San Antonio after robotaxis drove into flooded streets. The company issued a software recall the prior week intended to help its fleet avoid flooded areas in San Antonio, where service had been suspended for weeks, while it developed a more permanent fix. At least one vehicle was reported stuck in Atlanta during the same period.
Why freeways matter to Waymo
Waymo began offering highway rides in late 2025, and the higher-speed roads have become central to its growth in large metro areas by connecting riders to airports and cutting trip times. In the Bay Area, the company has said freeway travel sharply reduced journeys across the peninsula that once took 45 minutes to over an hour. Pulling robotaxis off freeways, even temporarily, removes a feature that underpins much of that expansion. Autonomous transport continues to attract heavy investment, as seen in Parallel Systems' $100 million raise for autonomous freight trains.
The road ahead
The interruptions come as Waymo pushes to expand to new cities worldwide this year, with a stated goal of delivering as many as one million paid rides per week by the end of 2026. The company is also testing its Zeekr-built robotaxi, called Ojai, which it expects to begin carrying passengers in the coming months. The episode highlights the operational scrutiny facing driverless fleets even as the broader sector debates oversight, including moves like a proposed US ban on Chinese ground robots.
Reporting based on coverage from TechCrunch.