Why did San Francisco's historic fireworks end in massive gridlock? The Fourth of July was expected to be an unforgettable night for the 100,000 people who made their way to San Francisco to watch a historic Golden Gate Bridge fireworks show. What they might not have anticipated was major gridlock after the event. Leading up to the event, thousands of people were constantly making their way to San Francisco's shoreline in anticipation of the city's fireworks display. Some drove or arrived by public transit, while others were seen by a USA TODAY reporter using robotaxi services. However, by the end of the night, the streets surrounding the Presidio and Marina neighborhoods became gridlocked as thousands of commuters attempted to leave the area, resulting in hours-long waits. One aspect that contributed to the gridlock was a number of Waymo's self-driving robotaxis idling on the road as traffic officials tried to remedy the halt in traffic. Waymo acknowledged that the traffic congestion on the Fourth of July led to a disruption of "normal operations" among its vehicles and that the company worked with city officials to clear traffic, according to a statement from Waymo. That didn't stop the public from criticizing the weekend congestion. San Francisco resident Honest Charley Bodkin shared his concerns with the San Francisco Board of Supervisors during Tuesday's meeting. Bodkin explained how his trip back home with his nephews took close to three hours as the buses they were riding were "physically blocked by multiple Waymos that were stalled." "It is a complete misnomer to call these 'autonomous vehicles,' when they depend on the internet to function," Bodkin said during public comment. "Because that dependency is known, the mayor's office, the department of emergency management, the (San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency) should have restricted Waymo's operation in that