I took my first Waymo freeway ride in the Phoenix area on December 14, 2025 -- going from PHX to my residence in the North Scottsdale community of McDowell Mountain Ranch. It was a somewhat odd and indirect mix of surface streets and freeways. It navigated a somewhat complicated movement from the westbound AZ-202 to the northbound AZ-51. There were several ramp merges and a mix of drivers who go slow and those who are going, or trying to go, faster. Waymo handled that transition flawlessly.
When it exited from northbound AZ-51 to eastbound Shea Boulevard, I noticed that it approached the intersection without slowing as much as you might expect for the gradual right-hand turn. I then realized that, of course, Waymo can see in all directions simultaneously. So, it was perfectly safe to make a speedy turn because there was no conflicting traffic on the surface street.
I took my first Waymo freeway ride in the Phoenix area on December 14, 2025 -- going from PHX to my residence in the North Scottsdale community of McDowell Mountain Ranch. It was a somewhat odd and indirect mix of surface streets and freeways. It navigated a somewhat complicated movement from the westbound AZ-202 to the northbound AZ-51. There were several ramp merges and a mix of drivers who go slow and those who are going, or trying to go, faster. Waymo handled that transition flawlessly.
When it exited from northbound AZ-51 to eastbound Shea Boulevard, I noticed that it approached the intersection without slowing as much as you might expect for the gradual right-hand turn. I then realized that, of course, Waymo can see in all directions simultaneously. So, it was perfectly safe to make a speedy turn because there was no conflicting traffic on the surface street.
Nice. And sounds similar to mine. Waymo is great on the actual freeway but the Routing still leaves a lot to be desired.