Santa Monica orders waymo to stop noisy operation at charging stations. The neighbors are happy

Waymo must stop charging its fleet of autonomous vehicles overnight at two charging stations in Santa Monica, taking the decision of STUTA Monica past as a way to resolve the long disputes between local residents and the taxi driver company.

In an affirmative vote, the Danta Monica Monica City Council voted Tuesday to issue an order to Waymo, the property owner and its appraisers, to stop nighttime operations at the charging stations.

“If the owners and the funds and the workers and the workers do not comply with the immediate time frame, [the city would then be instructed] Initiating cases to find fraudulent situations, “temporary city attry. Heidi von Tongeln said during Tuesday’s Council meeting.

Several local residents have complained about the round-the-clock beeping and noise emitted by self-driving cars as they make two charging lanes near Euclid Street and Broadway Street. Waymo said it has taken measures to reduce noise at the charging stations, but residents still insist the stations are a problem, arguing that the noise persists at night and that the cars that don’t make noise block the roads.

According to a letter from the city to Waymo, available at Times, Santa Monica requested that the two platforms stop operating overnight starting Wednesday, from 11 PM to 6 AM.

“The city has received numerous complaints from neighboring residents regarding the Broadway lots, and in particular that nighttime operations are disturbing their sleep and peace and enjoyment of their homes,” the home’s letter reads.

A city spokesman did not respond to requests for comment or questions about what prompted the city to consider the request.

In a statement, a Waymo spokesperson said the company was committed to working and investing in the city, but did not say whether the company planned to comply with the city’s order.

“We have been partnering with the community since day one of our operations, and we are committed to working with them to hold them accountable to our neighbors,” the statement said. “In response to neighborhood feedback, we changed our activities on the site, and we will continue to seek public input.”

To address some of the problems, Waymo officials point to mitigation efforts, such as using plants around the lots to reduce light and noise.

A total of 56 Waymo vehicles can charge simultaneously at two stations in Santa Monica. The company has been growing rapidly and increasing the number of roads where the white, autonomous cars can operate, but residents say they receive no warning that two charging stations will be operating in their area. Emails found at times suggest that city officials were also caught – they were noticed by waymo lot, and learned about the two channels only after the citizens started to complain about the noise.

The letter from the city to Waymo said that the company that Waymo had acquired to charge its fleet in Notts, Voltera, had “[d] To put down legal complaints from a significant number of neighbors, and unjustly insist that its customers were protected from all laws and have the right to run their businesses or want to. “

A spokesman for Voltera did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Neighbors of the charging station expressed relief at the city’s downtown.

“I’m glad to see that this town has taken a stand,” said Christopher Potter, who lives near the lot and started an online petition urging the company to reduce its noise pollution.

Still, Mbumbi said he’s not sure Waymo and Voltera will make any changes for the better.

“They come in and set up shop and they just want to do what they want to do,” he said.

Mumbami pointed out that a few months ago Waymo cars reduced the volume of their descent, when the cars drive back, when they are in the camp. Now cars only finish when there is someone or something coming. But sound is still important.

Darius boorn, who lives near the lot, agrees.

“I can’t tell if Windows is open because it’s always loud,” she said. “If [Waymo] If they really want to do something, they can do it. “

Despite the city’s letter to Waymo, Boorn said he believes frustrated residents are pushing the city to take action.

He said: “I honestly believe we forced their hand,” he said. “I think the city is finally realizing that our backs are against the wall unless we do this for the residents.”

The decisions come after months of disagreements between Waymo, and citizens who are quickly approaching taxis that have been renewed charging stations without warning or input from neighbors, and have started working in January of January.

Some residents have taken matters into their own hands by using bollards to block entrances to parking lots and block their way through streets and hills. Some citizens also began to block cars by stopping and blocking the roads burning at charging stations, forcing private cars to join the road and wait for a chance to enter.

Citizens began to refer to the act of protest as they would be able to “stack.”

Police were called several times to the charging stations, as well as Waymo at the same time I successfully tried to find a temporary stop organizing against the resident who continued to protest at the stations.

According to a letter sent by the City to Waymo, city officials received more than 40 complaints from 40 different people regarding noise, lighting, moving the city to meet with the residents of the neighborhood oct. 15.

The letter also points to the incident on November 2 When a long line of waymos arrived that led to the alley leading to the lot, forcing the servants to work for about 20 minutes to clear the block.

“If there had been a fire in one of the buildings or a first responder needed to access this area, they would have been trapped and restricted,” a letter from the city read. “This is not the first such incident, only the most recent.”

The Santa Monica standoff could be a sign of the company’s growing pains as it continues to expand operations in other major cities across the country.

The company in June announced that it will expand its service area in Los Angeles to 120 square kilometers in Playa del Rey, Ladera Hieghts, Echo Park, Silver Lake and all of Boulevard Sun.

At the beginning of this month it was announced that it will start working on the Freeways in Los Angeles and San Francisco and increase the distances that can take passengers in the two cities. The company also operates in Santa Monica, Culver City and Downtown Los Angeles.

Last week, Waymo announced its self-driving cars could start operating in Miami, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio and Orlando. On Friday, the company announced on social media that it is now allowed to drive over a wide area in San Francisco and Sackament, and that the cars will begin to appear in San Diego in mid-2026.