[AutonomousVehicles] Waymo Pause in San Antonio Ended!!

[pmdonahue2 at gmail.com]

Good evening everyone,

 

Tonight I'm pleased to let everyone know that Waymo is back in business in
the Alamo City! This is very welcome news. In addition you'll find
information concerning what our local news reported as a "Waymo Recall."
This has to do with the Waymo Driver the firmware that allows their service
to operate autonomously. The information below explains the Waymo Recall in
greater detail. Here it is:

 

 

 

Waymo Recall and Service Pause in San Antonio

This document summarizes the current status of Waymo operations following
the recent recall and weather-related service adjustments. This information
is compiled based on reporting from KENS 5, Texas Public Radio, and official
Waymo updates.

Official Waymo Service Update & Recall Notice

Date: May 12, 2026

Location: San Antonio, Texas (The Alamo City)

1. Service Pause & The Salado Creek Incident

Waymo's service in San Antonio was paused on April 20, 2026, as a proactive
safety measure during a period of severe regional flooding. Regarding the
conflicting reports:

*	The Incident: During the initial surge of the storm, one Waymo
vehicle was caught in rising water near Salado Creek.
*	The Second Vehicle: Texas Public Radio reported a second vehicle was
swept away; however, Waymo's internal logs and subsequent recovery efforts
confirmed that while two vehicles were disabled by high water, only one was
fully "washed away" into the creek bed.
*	Passenger Safety: As noted in initial reports, both vehicles were in
"transit-only" mode with no passengers on board.

2. Status in Austin, Dallas, and Houston

While the flooding was widespread across Texas, service was not paused in
Austin, Dallas, or Houston for the duration of the month. Waymo utilizes
localized weather monitoring. The specific intensity of the Salado Creek
flash flooding was unique to the San Antonio topography at that hour,
leading to a city-specific suspension of operations.

3. Why a San Antonio-Only Pause?

The decision to pause service is based on real-time environmental data in a
specific "geofence."

*	Localized Risk: While the other cities experienced heavy rain, they
did not meet the "Critical Water Depth" threshold that triggered the San
Antonio pause.
*	Communication: News outlets in other cities did not report a pause
because those fleets remained operational. A "state-wide" pause is only
triggered if a software-level fleet hazard is identified that affects all
cars regardless of weather.

4. Explaining the Waymo Recall

The "recall" mentioned on KENS 5 this evening refers to a software update
rather than a physical return of the cars to a factory.

*	The Software Flaw: The recall affects approximately 3,800 vehicles.
It addresses a flaw in the "Waymo Driver" software that, under specific
conditions, could incorrectly perceive deep, moving floodwater as a flat,
drivable surface (similar to a dark asphalt road).
*	The Fix: Waymo has deployed an "Over-the-Air" (OTA) software update
to all vehicles. This update enhances the sensor suite's ability to detect
the "shimmer" and movement of standing or rushing water to prevent entry
into flooded low-water crossings.

5. Resumption of Passenger Service in San Antonio

Yes. As of this week, Waymo has officially resumed passenger operations in
San Antonio. After the software update was verified across the local fleet,
the vehicles were cleared to begin transporting riders again. You can now
hail a Waymo One ride within the active service area.

6. Impact on Geofence Expansion (Stone Oak)

The recent events have led to a slight delay in the expansion timeline, but
the plans remain active.

*	Safety Mapping: Waymo engineers are currently re-mapping low-water
crossings in the Stone Oak area-which is known for its hilly terrain and
potential for rapid runoff-to ensure the new software update is perfectly
calibrated for that specific neighborhood.
*	Future Outlook: The expansion into Stone Oak is still a priority for
2026, as Waymo remains committed to providing independent mobility for all
residents of the Alamo City.

 

                It's great to have Waymo back in action. Only one more piece
of the puzzle needs to be put in place expansion to the Stone Oak Area where
we live. This should happen in the next few months. Provided we can raise
the funding we hope to produce a few YouTube Videos of Waymo trips from a
blindness perspective. Perhaps NFB will do some autonomous rideshare trips
during the national convention. Tesla and Waymo operate in Austin. You book
Waymo Trips via the Uber App. Neither Tesla or Zoox are in San Antonio. My
guess is that they're monitoring Waymo's experience so they can train their
drivers to better handle conditions on our roads here to prevent pauses like
the one we had with Waymo. Take care and have a great evening. Go Spurs and
Waymo Go!!!!

 

Peter Donahue

 

 

 

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