The City of Santa Monica has formally demanded that Waymo cease overnight operations at its two local autonomous vehicle charging facilities, escalating a months-long dispute over noise complaints from nearby residents.
The directive, approved unanimously by the City Council on a 6-0 vote last Tuesday, did not mention Waymo by name but targets the properties at 1222 Broadway and 1310 Broadway where Waymo stores vehicles overnight. Staff said the city would issue a demand to property owners, lessees and operators to immediately stop nighttime operations due to nuisance conditions at both sites.
At the Council meeting, staff said that if the parties do not comply within an expedited timeframe, the city will initiate litigation to abate the nuisance. While the City does not have to provide details of negotiations regarding lawsuits, it will have to provide notification to the public if a lawsuit is filed, including the participants.
The threat is the strongest action yet from the City after months of complaints from nearby residents.
Since the facilities opened 2024, neighbors have complained of constant noise and disruption from around-the-clock vehicle operations. Residents describe an incessant disturbance from legally mandated backup alarms and other sounds that echo day and night as vehicles maneuver, charge and occasionally trigger car alarms.
Neighbors report sleep interruption and stress, with a few saying they have started hearing phantom beeping after enduring the noise 24/7.
The facilities' powerful floodlights and the constant hum of charging equipment have created what one neighbor called a "Las Vegas Strip"-like glare in the once-quiet residential area. The proximity of one lot to an elementary school and multiple apartment complexes has amplified concerns about the location's appropriateness.
Residents note that at school pickup times, the area already experienced congestion. Now a constant stream of driverless vehicles—by some estimates 200 per hour—running in and out of the two lots adds another layer of chaos and noise.
Frustrations have escalated into direct action by some residents. Orange traffic cones have appeared in alleys leading to the lots, confusing the autonomous cars and forcing them to stop. On other occasions, residents deliberately block Waymo vehicles entering or exiting, causing a chain reaction of stopped cars—a tactic locals call "stacking the Waymos."
These grassroots interference efforts have led to confrontations. With Waymo and residents both calling police at various times. Dozens of residents have signed petitions and flooded city channels with pleas for relief from what they describe as noise pollution and traffic intrusions.
The city has said it is exploring ways to regain oversight, including asking state regulators whether the required volume of backup beepers can be reduced at such facilities.
However, local authorities face significant limitations. Under California law, robotaxi operations are overseen by state agencies, and federal safety regulations require all hybrid and electric vehicles to emit audible alerts while backing up. Santa Monica code enforcement staff took sound measurements at the Waymo lot and confirmed the noise did not violate existing city noise ordinances.
In response to public outcry, Waymo has implemented several mitigation measures. The company said it now restricts certain activities at night, with employees instructed to avoid loud talking or music on the lots, and vehicle cleaning confined to daytime hours between 7 a.m. and 9 p.m. Autonomous cars are programmed to drive under 10 mph when using narrow alleys to access the facilities.
Waymo also invested in quieter industrial equipment and planted rows of fast-growing trees, including 10-foot bamboo and cypress, around the lot perimeters to absorb sound and block floodlights. Company engineers are evaluating whether vehicles' backup alert volume can be automatically lowered while on private property.
Waymo asserts it "strives to be good neighbors" and maintains a dedicated email hotline for community complaints.