Waymo robotaxi went the wrong way near Raymond James Stadium on Bucs game day, TV stations report

Dated location file photo: The field and crowded stands at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa on Oct. 28, 2007. Photo: Bernard Gagnon / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0). Resized; website wordmark added. Photo source · License

Video aired by two Tampa TV stations shows a driverless Waymo going the wrong way near Raymond James Stadium on Sunday, Oct. 4, a Buccaneers game day. WFLA reported that the passengers got out of the car; Waymo said its vehicle briefly entered a temporary one-way street before correcting the issue.

FOX 13, which posted its video Oct. 9, said the riders were a group of University of Tampa students and that the incident happened right after the Buccaneers vs. Packers game. WFLA's report, published the same day, described it as happening during the game.

What WFLA reported

According to WFLA, a TikTok video posted by user Matt.reardon shows the robotaxi driving north on North Himes Avenue at a moment when that stretch had been redirected for southbound traffic. "Thought we were done for a second there," the video's caption reads.

A second video, sent to the station by Michael Ripatranzone, shows the scene from outside the car. WFLA wrote that the vehicle appeared unaware that traffic on Himes had been redirected and was heading north as if on a normal route, and that the men inside left the car out of concern for their safety.

The station said a person in that second video can be heard referring to the now-empty Waymo as stuck and still blocking a lane.

Waymo's account

Waymo's description is narrower. A spokesperson told WFLA that a Waymo vehicle "briefly entered a temporary one-way street before correcting the issue," and said the company is looking into the event "so we can learn more and improve." The spokesperson also said the trust and safety of the communities where Waymo operates is of paramount importance.

How the Tampa service was set up at launch

Waymo began public rides in Tampa on Tuesday, Sept. 1, after several months of mapping, road testing and employee-only trips, according to iHeart's WIOD report on the launch.

The initial service area covers 50 square miles, stretching from Hyde Park north to Temple Crest and from Westshore east to Highland Pines. Riders with access enter a pickup point and destination in the Waymo app, and the car makes the trip with no human driver, relying on cameras, radar, lidar and onboard computers to read traffic and road conditions.

At launch, the service was being introduced gradually to selected residents rather than to everyone at once. People interested in riding could download the app and register, and Waymo said it would invite more customers as operations expand. The company had not then said when service would open to all or when the operating area would grow.