Waymo’s robotaxis have become an unexpected source of noise in a San Francisco neighborhood, with a nightly honkfest from their parking lot disturbing nearby residents. Since late July, software engineer Sophia Tung has been livestreaming a parking lot that Waymo rents to house its autonomous vehicles during their off-hours. According to Tung, the lot was partially taken over by Waymo on July 28th before the company fully occupied it.
Tung’s livestream, which includes LoFi study beats, offers a real-time view of the Waymo vehicles as they park and navigate the lot. The stream runs on a mini PC with a webcam, which Tung ingeniously surrounded with a cereal box to reduce glare. The vehicles typically return to the lot between 7 PM and 9 PM PST from Sunday through Thursday and between 11 PM and midnight on Fridays and Saturdays.
While the lot is generally quiet during the day, with only a few cars parked, the situation changes dramatically in the early morning hours. Tung described how, around 4 AM, the lot fills up, triggering a chaotic sequence of autonomous parking maneuvers accompanied by frequent honking. This noise can last for up to an hour before it subsides.
Waymo has acknowledged the issue, with company representative Chris Bonelli stating that the company is aware of the honking and has identified the cause. Efforts are underway to resolve the problem. Despite the noise, Tung, a micromobility advocate, finds the presence of the cars amusing and enjoys watching their movements. However, she noted that the honking remains a concern that needs to be addressed.
Featured Image courtesy of PBS