In Atlanta, we have an event several times a year called Streets Alive, where a busy street is closed off to traffic for VRUs only. Usually on a Sunday. At last month’s event, a Waymo drove past the barricades and onto the street. So this month, Waymo is kind of ironically a sponsor of the event.  It is stirring a little controversy. Here are some highlights from the AJC article and a pic I took from one event last year.

[https://www.ajc.com/news/2025/06/car-free-streets-alive-finds-unlikely-sponsor-in-uber-and-waymo/](https://www.ajc.com/news/2025/06/car-free-streets-alive-finds-unlikely-sponsor-in-uber-and-waymo/)

City says partnership will highlight driverless technology’s potential to make roads safer….

The choice of partnership is especially puzzling after one of Waymo’s autonomous cars bypassed barricades during last month’s Streets Alive and disrupted the event, attendees said….

In a statement, officials from the Atlanta DOT defended the partnership and said it aligns with the city’s efforts to make streets safer by decreasing human error.

“Autonomous vehicle technology presents a potential tool for reducing harm — particularly when designed to prioritize pedestrians and cyclists‚” the statement reads, adding that the Waymo booth planned for this month’s Streets Alive is a way for Atlantans to learn more about autonomous vehicle technology and have any questions answered.

The city reached out to Waymo in February to discuss Atlanta’s Vision Zero initiative, which aims to eliminate traffic fatalities and serious injuries. Uber and Waymo paid $25,000 for the sponsorship, funding that supports the logistics of hosting Streets Alive, the spokesperson said….

The vehicles have a clean record since they’ve been driving in Atlanta….

In addition to the Waymo booth, Lime and its competitor, Bird, will have a selection of scooters and bikes available at the June Streets Alive event…..MARTA is also a regular at Streets Alive, bringing electric buses and showing riders how to use the bike racks on buses….

Mitchell cited recent statistics from Lime, which **named Atlanta as one of its top cities worldwide** when it comes to ridership. Atlanta’s embrace of Lime scooters and bikes has led the company to debut its newest step-through bike here…..preferred to see micromobility offerings like that highlighted instead of Waymo.……

[ATL]Waymo sponsors Car Free event after disrupting last event