Austin, TX
Uber Just Launched Driverless Rides in This U.S. City—Here's What Travelers Should Know
- Uber users can hail a driverless car in Austin.
- The offering is in collaboration with Waymo.
- Atlanta is reportedly the next market Uber and Waymo will launch in.
Uber announced a partnership with autonomous driving company Waymo, allowing its riders to be matched up with a driverless vehicle in Austin.
Uber users in the Texas city requesting an UberX, Uber Green, Uber Comfort, or Uber Comfort Electric, can opt in to be potentially matched with one of its electric Jaguar I-PACE vehicles, if available, at no additional cost. If one of the fleets is free, an option will pop up to accept the Waymo, or wait for a non-autonomous vehicle, so that antsy riders won’t be forced into a car with an empty driver’s seat.
For those who do choose to go driverless, when the Waymo arrives, they will be able to unlock the vehicle, open the trunk, and begin the trip from the Uber app directly. Currently, Austin users can travel anywhere within the city’s 37 square miles, including Hyde Park, Montopolis, and downtown. The program will eventually expand its coverage area.
If any issues come up, 24/7 customer service is available, both inside the car and through the Uber app. Safety has long been at the forefront of the company, which reached the milestone of surpassing 25 million miles on the road last year and five million rides—four million of those in 2024. Totaling one million hours on the road, the Mountain View, California-based company claims it has helped avoid more than six million kilograms of carbon dioxide emissions.
“We’re reimagining how the world moves and building a future where autonomous vehicles and drivers work side by side to help make transportation more affordable, sustainable, and accessible for all,” Uber said in a statement obtained by Travel + Leisure.
For those who want a better chance of getting a Waymo robotaxi, Uber suggests going into the Ride Preference section and opting in through the settings there.
While Austin was just announced, Uber and Waymo are already working on an expansion to Atlanta soon, as employees are currently testing the integrated program there. As of now, users in San Francisco, Phoenix, and Los Angeles still need the Waymo One app to hail these cars.
Austin, TX
More dangerous Texas floods expected after at least 2 killed and hundreds of people rescued in high water, governor says – WTOP News
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — More dangerous Texas floods expected after at least 2 killed and hundreds of people rescued in…
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — More dangerous Texas floods expected after at least 2 killed and hundreds of people rescued in high water, governor says.
Copyright
© 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.
Austin, TX
Live updates: Flash Flood emergency in Kerr County as rain continues to pound Texas
KERRVILLE, Texas (KXAN) — The City of Kerrville issued a shelter-in-place Thursday morning, with heavy rain causing reported evacuations early Thursday morning. A Flash Flood Warning is currently in place for Kerr County as the Guadalupe River continues to rise.
Around 5:30 a.m., the National Weather Service said a “large and deadly flood wave is moving down” the Guadalupe River.
KXAN First Warning Weather Meteorologist Kristen Currie said approximately 11 inches of rain have fallen northwest of Kerr County since 10 p.m. on Wednesday. The Guadalupe River is expected to reach major flood stage in multiple areas.
Kerr County PIO Lisa Walter said “there have been multiple swift water rescues and evacuations.” Officials emphasized not to drive through flooded streets and to turn around if water covers the roadway.
Evacuations were underway in multiple areas, according to the county, including:
- Goat Creek
- Arcadia Loop
- Lowery/Guadalupe area
- Junction Highway low-water crossings
- Other low-lying neighborhoods
Emergency shelters are open at Impact Church (Goat Creek evacuation point), Calvary Temple Church and City West Church for people in West Kerr County, the county said.
Here are the latest headlines:
Live updates
7:03 a.m.: KXAN’s Kevin Baskar is in Gillespie County providing updates on the latest flood conditions in the area. Watch his update below.
6:37 a.m.: Kerr County officials emphasized not to drive through flooded streets and to turn around if water covers the roadway.
Evacuations were underway in multiple areas, according to the county, including:
- Goat Creek
- Arcadia Loop
- Lowery/Guadalupe area
- Junction Highway low-water crossings
- Other low-lying neighborhoods
Emergency shelters are open at Impact Church (Goat Creek evacuation point), Calvary Temple Church and City West Church for people in West Kerr County, the county said.
6:27 a.m.: Video shows emergency crews hauling boats and rescue equipment through Kerrville.
6:15 a.m. NewsNation correspondent Xavier Walton and his photographer captured a structure being swept up in river water and crashing into a Kerrville bridge. The structure appears to be some sort of shipping container, pushing against the bridge.
Watch the video below:
6:08 a.m.: Kerr County PIO Lisa Walter confirms “there have been multiple swift water rescues and evacuations.”
6:02 a.m.: The Guadalupe River at Center Point is expected to crest at 35 feet, which is the same crest as July 4, 2025.
5:57 a.m.: The National Weather Service said “a large deadly flood wave” is moving down the Guadalupe River.
5:49 a.m.: The Comfort Volunteer Fire Department said it has units in Kerrville and Centerpoint alerting people along the Guadalupe River. They’re helping Kerr County with evacuations along Highway 27 between Comfort and Centerpoint. They said all VFD personnel are OK.
5:30 a.m.: The Kerr County Sheriff’s Office said in a Facebook post that it’s received reports of “street flooding in Ingram, and it’s likely many roads and city streets are flooded as well.”
Austin, TX
Austin Pets Alive! activates emergency response to assist shelters affected by flooding
AUSTIN (KXAN) — As flood threats continue across parts of South Central Texas, Austin Pets Alive! has activated emergency response efforts to support animal shelters affected by the inclement weather.
In a social media post, APA! wrote, “We began offering aid last night, working to secure fosters for 10 dogs in the Castroville shelter, an open-air shelter that sits at the bottom of a valley.”
APA! said the situation escalated overnight with additional shelters reporting flooding. One shelter confirmed that floodwaters reached its facility, APA! added.
Communities overwhelmed due to weather include Uvalde, Castroville and Sabinal.
The nonprofit is asking the Austin community to foster, adopt or donate to free up capacity for animals displaced by the disaster. APA! needs to clear out its facilities to assist the animals in need of shelter.
Here are ways you can help:
- Adopt: APA! is offering a “Name Your Own Adoption Fee” on all animals.
- Foster: The shelter is seeking foster homes for a minimum of three weeks.
- Donate: Proceeds will fund vans and response teams setting up a staging and triage center at the heart of the disaster zone, along with an expanded stockpile of preventatives, PPE and additional supplies.
If you would like to donate, click here.
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