Waymo's noisy Santa Monica charging stations ordered to close overnight for now

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Set us as preferred Waymo must stop using two Santa Monica charging stations overnight — for now — after a judge found the city might prevail in its contentious legal fight against the self-driving taxi company.This week’s ruling is the latest development in the long-running legal saga, which launched in the wake of resident complaints that the autonomous vehicle company’s round-the-clock operation was besieging them with noise, light and traffic.Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Bradley S.Phillips rejected Waymo’s arguments that city-issued permits allowed them to continue to operate, as well as the contention that sound at the site could not be considered a nuisance because it did not exceed the decibel level necessary to violate specific noise regulations.

“Our residents’ ability to sleep peacefully in their own homes is not negotiable,” Santa Monica Mayor Caroline Torosis said in a statement.“This ruling affirms what our neighbors have been telling us for more than a year, and it delivers relief while the case moves forward.” California Some Santa Monica residents are protesting two new Waymo charging stations using unconventional means, including ‘Stacking the Waymos.’A Waymo spokesperson said the company was disappointed in the order, saying it “may restrict our ability to provide visitors and residents with a safer, more accessible transportation option during some of the most dangerous hours of the day for road users.” “We will explore all available options to ensure we can serve the tens of thousands of Angelenos who depend on our service,” the statement reads.Santa Monica and its residents have been locked in conflict with Waymo for more than a year, after the company began operating two 24-hour charging stations at Euclid Street and Broadway for its self-driving fleet.

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