Waymo is taking the city of Santa Monica to court after the city ordered the company to stop charging its self-driving vehicles at two facilities overnight, claiming the lights and beeps in the parking lots were a nuisance to residents.
The two charging stations at the intersection of Euclid Street and Broadway have been a sore spot for neighbors since they began operating about a year ago. Some residents have told the Times that they have been unable to sleep due to the incessant beeping of Waymos entering and exiting charging points in the parking lot 24 hours a day.
Last month, the city ordered Waymo and the company that operates the charging stations, Voltera, to stop nighttime operations at the sites, arguing that the light, noise and activity there constitute a public nuisance. Instead of complying, Waymo turned around and filed a lawsuit against the city, asking the court to intervene.
“Waymo's activities at the Broadway facility do not constitute a public nuisance,” the company argued in its complaint, filed Wednesday in Los Angeles County Superior Court. “Waymo faces imminent and irreparable harm to its operations, employees and customers.”
A city spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
According to the lawsuit, the city was aware that the Voltera charging facility was required to operate and maintain a fleet of commercial electric vehicles 24 hours a day, and the city approved its use when it approved permits for the stations.
The rift between the company and some Santa Monica residents began as soon as vehicles began using the 24-hour charging stations, which are staffed at night, with lights and cars that beep when entering and exiting parking spaces. Tensions got so bad that some residents began blocking the path of self-driving vehicles, blocking access to charging stations and placing orange cones in the area to block their routes and create backups, a practice that several have called “stacking the Waymos.”
Meanwhile, charging station employees have called the police several times, although no arrests have been made. Waymo also unsuccessfully attempted to obtain a temporary restraining order against a resident who had allegedly repeatedly blocked vehicles.
On Nov. 19, the city ordered Waymo to stop charging its self-driving cars at the two lots overnight or face the possibility of legal action. Waymo refused and instead sued the city last week after negotiations with the city over mitigation measures for the lots failed.
According to the lawsuit, representatives from Waymo and Voltera contacted the city after the Nov. 19 order, seeking ways to mitigate noise and parking lot lights, including initiating a software update that would reroute vehicles to charging stations. But after a Dec. 15 meeting with the city, no agreement was reached, the company stated in its complaint.
“We are disappointed that the city chose a confrontational path rather than a collaborative one,” a Waymo spokesperson said in a statement.
“The City's position has been to insist that no action taken or proposed by Waymo would satisfy the complaining neighbors and should therefore be considered insufficient.”
The company also criticized the city's handling of the dispute, arguing that despite facing a budget crisis, city officials have adopted a controversial strategy against the companies.
“The city of Santa Monica's recent actions are inconsistent with its stated goal of attracting investment,” the company said in a statement. “At a time when the city faces a serious fiscal crisis, officials are choosing to obstruct properly permitted investments rather than foster a 'business-ready' environment.”
The lawsuit is just the latest legal battle for the Alphabet-owned company, which has been expanding rapidly across California, making white driverless vehicles more common.
Two years ago, the company was sued by the city of San Francisco, which argued that the California Public Utilities Commission should not have granted Waymo permits to expand and operate in the city, and that the regulatory agency had abdicated its responsibilities.
California's First District Court of Appeal disagreed and ruled against the city.
Last June, Waymo announced it would expand its service area to 120 square miles in Los Angeles County, with Waymos operating in Playa del Rey, Ladera Heights, Echo Park, Silver Lake and Hollywood.
In November, the company launched its ride-hailing service that will now operate on freeways in Los Angeles County, as well as the San Francisco Bay Area and Phoenix.
Since launching in Santa Monica, the company claims it has taken more than one million trips in the city and in November alone recorded more than 50,000 trips that started or ended there.
“He [charging] The site has allowed Waymo to provide a safe, sustainable and accessible transportation option to city residents,” Waymo said in the statement.
