Waymo has announced it will be working with the navigation app Waze to turn its autonomous fleet of vehicles into a rolling network of road inspectors, launching a pilot program aimed at helping cities identify and fix potholes more quickly. The move pairs Waymo’s sensor-based detection capabilities with Waze’s crowdsourced reporting platform, giving municipalities a real-time picture of road conditions. The data would then be shared through Waze’s platform, where it will sit alongside reports submitted by everyday drivers. Waymo says its vehicles use a combination of cameras, sensors systems, and actual physical feedback to detect irregularities in the road surface. That includes potholes, which can damage vehicles and endanger cyclists and pedestrians. The pilot will see information automatically recorded and shared with local agencies, and could lead to a reduction in the need for traditional reporting methods like 311 calls and manual inspections, says Waymo. “Waymo is already making roads safer where we operate,” said Arielle Fleisher, the company’s policy development and research manager. “We want to build on that by partnering with cities to improve the infrastructure we all depend on.” The program will first roll out in five regions where Waymo already operates: the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Austin, and Atlanta. Across those areas, the company says it has already identified roughly 500 potholes. For Waze users in those areas, drivers will receive alerts as they approach potholes, similar to other hazard notifications in the app, like accidents, road construction, or even speed traps. Users will also be able to confirm or dismiss those alerts, helping to build the system’s accuracy. San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan pointed to the potential for faster response times and better allocation of resources, especially in cities already experimenting with camera-based detection on municipal vehicles. The pilot is expected