AUSTIN, Texas — Several autonomous vehicles impacted Austin’s roadways over the weekend.
Just after 10:15 p.m. on Sunday, the Austin Police Department (APD) said it found two of Waymo’s self-driving vehicles blocking part of a ramp along the West 15th St. Bridge, not far from North Lamar Boulevard northbound and West 15th heading eastbound.
Police said they removed the vehicles without incident, though they did not share an exact reason why the cars were halted.
Currently, Waymo is the only operating self-driving car company in the Austin area, though several others plan to test across the city later this year.
According to Waymo’s website, the driverless vehicles stop during extreme weather events, such as during snow storms or instances of heavy rainfall. On Sunday, storms brought lightning and thunder to much of the KVUE viewing area.
The company officially launched in Austin this March after several months of testing. The electric Jaguar I-PACE vehicles currently serve customers across 37 square miles in the city, including in South Lamar, Zilker and Hyde Park.
Passengers can use the Uber app to request a ride, with the option to opt in for a self-driving car.
Other driverless car companies could also be making their way to Austin in 2025. These include Avride, Amazon’s Zoox and Volkswagen ADMT, which are all in the testing phase.