A California beach town has achieved a legal victory as a judge ordered Waymo, the autonomous vehicle company, to cease operations at two charging stations overnight. The preliminary injunction, granted by Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Bradley S. Phillips on Monday, addresses persistent complaints from Santa Monica residents who alleged the stations' noise and lights disrupted their sleep.
The ruling restricts Waymo's use of charging facilities located at 1222 and 1310 Broadway in Santa Monica from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. The city has filed a public nuisance lawsuit against Waymo, citing "persistent overnight noise, lighting and traffic impacts that disrupted sleep, comfort and basic livability in their homes." The stations are situated near apartment buildings and a private school.
Christopher Potter, a Santa Monica resident who initiated a petition against the charging stations, described his once peaceful neighborhood as having become a "hub for noise pollution." He lamented the "constant 'beep–beep–beep' sound" emanating from the Waymo vehicles. Another resident living near the stations stated that opening a window made it sound as if they "were living on life support."
Waymo began using these charging facilities in January 2025. The injunction noted that the stations' "continual noise, lights, and traffic generated" was "offensive" to residents and interfered with their "peace, quiet and comfort." The order also pushed back on a declaration from Sean Bugee, Waymo's Los Angeles operations site lead, who claimed to have found "minimal activity or noise" during overnight periods at the lots. The court dismissed these claims as "self–serving assertion" and noted Bugee did not specify where he was or if he was attempting to sleep during those times.
Waymo had argued that the injunction would prevent its rideshare services from operating overnight, potentially harming the public interest due to claimed safety advantages during those hours. However, the court countered that Waymo could still utilize vehicles that were already charged and cleaned but not deployed during the restricted hours. The judge also expressed skepticism that Waymo vehicles would be frequently picking up riders at the beach and ferrying them down Broadway between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m.
Santa Monica Mayor Caroline Torosis praised the ruling, stating that residents' "ability to sleep peacefully in their own homes [was] not negotiable." She added that the city welcomed autonomous vehicles and their infrastructure but was prepared to work with Waymo on solutions that allow their operations and residents' quality of life to coexist.
Waymo is appealing the ruling. A status conference is scheduled for October 23 to discuss potential remediation measures and curb cut statuses. Some residents have reported immediate relief following the injunction, with one noting that the neighborhood was no longer dominated by the sound of the autonomous fleet.
