ITS Researcher Dr. Michael Hyland was recently featured by The Verge regarding the repeated presence of parked Waymos in LA. Waymo’s self-driving taxis first debuted in LA during 2024. Since then, community members have complained about the frequency of fully automated vehicles occupying their limited street parking spaces.
Residents have theorized various causes driving the uptick including “proximity to high-traffic areas, central locations, a lack of parking restrictions, ample curb space.” However, none of these causes accounts for Waymo’s consistent parking choices.
In an attempt to analyze these choices, Waymo is participating in an ongoing study by UC Berkeley and UC Irvine. The study uses hypothetical data to understand the impact Waymo’s street parking behavior has on wait times and curb/ road congestion. Dr. Michael Hyland, UC Irvine’s principal researcher, reported that “street parking reduces wait times and road congestion… Although it does, obviously, take up more parking spots.”
To learn more about the study and what the future of AV parking entails, access The Verge article here.