SANTA MONICA—On Monday, July 27, Santa Monica Superior Court Judge Bradley S. Phillips granted the city’s request for a preliminary injunction against Waymo, the autonomous vehicle company. The judge declared Waymo’s two charging stations to be public nuisances despite the company’s mitigation efforts around-the-clock autonomous vehicle charging and servicing operations at 1222 and 1310 Broadway.
Waymo leases two parking lots on Broadway in Santa Monica, in alleys behind apartment buildings. The company uses the location to store and charge its vehicles overnight.
“Our residents’ ability to sleep peacefully in their own homes is not negotiable,” Mayor Caroline Torosis said. “This ruling affirms what our neighbors have been telling us for more than a year, and it delivers relief while the case moves forward. I’m grateful to the residents who came forward, and to our City Attorney’s Office for its steadfast work on behalf of the community.”
Waymo argues it hired more staff, updated software to reduce noise, installed light and noise barriers, and modified vehicle behavior to address residents’ concerns. The company alleges that the nuisance was actually created by residents physically blocking vehicles from exiting and entering the parking spaces. When the cars are blocked, they honk, back up, and perform various maneuvers. Waymo believes this is what led to the noise and light complaints.
Santa Monica emphasized this case has never been about whether autonomous vehicles belong in the city. Waymo vehicles continue to serve tens of thousands of riders in the city and in the region each month, and Santa Monica has adopted a regulatory framework designed to guide how fleet charging facilities can operate successfully alongside residential neighborhoods.
The Court has scheduled a status conference for October 23, 2026, to review the status of potential remediation measures at the Broadway sites.
Due to the judge’s ruling, Waymo is temporarily banned from operating the Broadway lots between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. The ban will remain in effect pending trial.
