Waymo might be expanding its autonomous taxi services to northern cities like Minneapolis and Detroit, but back in Santa Monica, the company’s strained relationship with local residents has reached a breaking point.
According to the Santa Monica Daily Press, the city council has issued a formal demand that Waymo end overnight operations at two charging facilities there. City counselors unanimously approved the measure, which doesn’t mention Waymo by name, but instead orders two lots the company uses to charge and dispatch vehicles to cease nighttime operations.
If the two lots don’t stop buzzing around the clock by Wednesday night, the city has threatened to start litigation, the SMDP reports.
The strong-arm measures are driven by a year’s worth of noise complaints lodged against Waymo’s facilities. As the Los Angeles Times reported back in the spring, state regulations require that all self-driving vehicles sound a noise when they back up — which evidently happens constantly as the vehicles navigate Waymo’s cramped charging lots.
On top of the endless din of back-up beeps, the SMDP notes that residents complain about honking, car alarms, the “constant hum” of charging equipment, and obnoxious floodlights reminiscent of the “Las Vegas Strip.”
Given the volume of traffic at each location — one estimate suggests 200 Waymos touch base at each lot every hour — congestion is also a huge concern, especially because the SMDP observes that one lot is precariously situated right next to an elementary school.
Still, Waymo contends that it “strives to be good neighbors” with the Santa Monica community. Reacting to the public outcry over the past year, the company has “restricted certain activities” at the two sites, ordering employees to keep their voices down and avoid playing loud music. Vehicle maintenance has also been restricted to daytime hours.
It might be well intentioned, but it’s a strange response given that none of the complaints seem to identify employee conversations as the main issue. Unless state regulation changes, it doesn’t seem like the company can do much about the beeping — and unfortunately, it sounds like that’s making it a crummy neighbor.
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