Waymo — San Francisco, USA
Location
San Francisco, USA — urban bus lanes and intersections
Various bus lanes and intersections across San Francisco, recurring
Description
Recurring incidents of Waymo robotaxis stalling in bus lanes and intersections across San Francisco throughout 2026. These are not single events but a persistent pattern where vehicles enter a frozen or confused state, blocking dedicated bus lanes and intersection approaches. Average resolution time is approximately 20 minutes per incident. SFMTA has documented multiple instances where stalled robotaxis delayed Muni bus service. The cumulative impact on public transit reliability is significant, affecting thousands of daily bus riders. The recurring nature of the problem suggests a systemic issue with the vehicle's handling of bus lane geometry, signaling, or right-of-way rules rather than random failures.
Impact
Vehicles
1
Duration
20 min
Injuries
0
Fatalities
0
Traffic disruption: moderate (recurring)
Emergency Response
Resolution: manual vehicle restart or towing; average 20 minutes per incident
Root Cause
bus lane / intersection planning failure — recurring
Vehicles repeatedly enter frozen states in bus lanes and intersections; likely related to complex right-of-way rules, bus lane markings, or transit signal priority systems that the planning module cannot reliably handle
⚠️ Unconfirmed / Under investigation
Systemic Issues
- Recurring pattern indicates systemic rather than random failure
- Bus lane blockage disproportionately impacts public transit users
- 20-minute average resolution time is operationally unacceptable
- Cumulative impact on Muni service reliability affects thousands of riders
- Tension between robotaxi operations and public transit priority
- Remote intervention frequently unable to resolve the frozen state
Regulatory Action
SFMTA documenting incidents and engaging with Waymo on bus lane performance. San Francisco Board of Supervisors considering legislation to penalize repeated bus lane blockages by autonomous vehicles.