weekly recap

Hot Clicks: Austin's wealthiest ZIP codes, biggest F1 buzz and lastingarchitectural imprints

Austin's 10 wealthiest zip codes have been released
Ed Schipul/Flickr
Honey Boo Boo is taking TLC by storm
Michael Hsu is leaving a lasting imprint on Austin architecture

Before you spend the weekend studying up for back-to-school (or wishing life's biggest stress was finding the perfect first-day outfit), join us in a look at this week's top stories.

Everything from Austin's wealthiest ZIP codes to Austin's biggest downtown party (Thank you, Formula 1!) piqued your interest this week. Take a look at Austin's cultural news before picking up the heavy books.

What are Austin's wealthiest ZIP codes? The top 10 (not so surprisingly) inhabit the western part of town, with concentrations in Steiner Ranch, Bee Cave and Westlake.

Georgia pageant princess Alana Thompson has taken TLC by storm. Senior Editor Mike Graupmann reflects on what he's learned from his time with Honey Boo Boo.

Michael Hsu is a true Austin innovator. In this Profile of Innovation, he explains inspiration for the architectural imprint he's left on everything Uchiko to Emo's East.

Say "goodbye" to Style X and give a friendly welcome to The Neighborhood. SXSW's fashion component is amicably parting ways to establish a new identity.

We're less than 90 days from the Circuit of the Americas Race in Elroy, and the Formula 1 buzz is building in Austin. Come November, you'll be able to party like a racecar star, and Experience Austin.

There you have it: Austin's wealthiest neighborhoods, biggest fall party and true innovators. Plus, a side of Honey Boo Boo (for good pop-culture measure). Enjoy this back-to-school weekend, Austin. We'll see you soon.

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Self-driving Roller Coaster

More self-driving cars expected to roll out in Austin for 2025

Photo courtesy of Waymo via KVUE

Various brands offering self-driving cars are on-and-off in Austin.

Expect to see more self-driving rideshare vehicles, also known as robotaxis, on Austin roads next year.

Robotaxi company Waymo, which you may have already seen on Austin's roads, is partnering with Uber. At some point next year, customers will be able to use the Uber app to call a self-driving ride.

Austin-based company Avride is in the testing phase and plans to roll out its robotaxis next year.

Currently, Volkswagen ADMT and Amazon's Zoox are in the testing phase in Austin, while Hyundai's Motional is in the mapping phase.

Last year, robotaxi company Cruise paused operations in Austin after the California Department of Motor Vehicles revoked the company's permits to operate driverless vehicles in the state. And last week, General Motors said it would no longer fund the company because of the time and resources needed.

This way of getting around has come with its safety concerns and issues. The city is tracking those concerns. According to the Transportation Department, the problems span from blocking the roads and parking in front of people's homes for weeks with lights beaming through their windows, to actual wrecks.

Since July 2023, robotaxis have been involved in 75 incidents. Only 21 of those incidents happened in 2024. It's important to note that Cruise has not been operating in Austin this year.

Since July 2023, driverless rideshare vehicles have been involved in 22 near collisions, eight collisions and seven instances where driverless taxis ignored directions from the Austin Police Department (APD).

According to the data, at least four of those Austin police incidents happened in recent months. The issues varied from driving through police checkpoints, to malfunctioning and getting stuck at an APD road closure near pedestrians, causing safety concerns.

A Waymo spokesperson said their vehicles have gesture recognition capabilities, which they've been training APD officers on using.

As the report shows, sometimes it does not work and Waymo said it is working to improve that. The spokesperson said that as of just last week, Waymo's First Responder Program has been independently verified by TÜV SÜD, making Waymo the first autonomous vehicle (AV) company to receive third-party validation for our emergency response protocols. They also said the data to date indicates the Waymo Driver is already reducing traffic injuries and fatalities in the places where the company currently operates.

Read the full story and watch the video at KVUE.com.

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