Overnight Waymo Operations Halted at Two Santa Monica Lots While Case Proceeds

The ruling follows complaints from residents who said vehicle noise, beeping, workers talking and bright lights repeatedly disrupted their homes during overnight hours.

"While the evidence shows that the parties have attempted to mitigate the noise, lights and traffic, it does not show that those efforts have been sufficiently successful to eliminate the public nuisance that is created," Phillips wrote.

The city alleged that Waymo rejected repeated requests to abate the problems before Santa Monica sought court intervention.

According to court filings, neighbors compared living near the facilities to "a mini-Las Vegas," "living next door to a spaceship," "a circus" and "a city that never sleeps."

Residents submitted sworn declarations describing sleepless nights and disruptions to their work and home lives.

Paula Achter said she had to change both her sleeping habits and where she works inside her apartment because of the overnight noise.

"I used to hear birds singing in the morning from my apartment," Achter wrote. "I've noticed I don't hear them anymore. I believe that they have nested elsewhere due to the Waymo frequency."

Another resident, Victoria Benchuk, said the overnight activity wakes her 5-year-old autistic son two to four nights a week.

"When there are multiple Waymos stopped in the alley, the noise from the motors, the beeping and the people talking and working in the Waymos lot wake up my son two to four nights a week and he has trouble getting back to sleep," she wrote. "I often have to bring my son into the living room where I sleep to help him settle back down."

Benchuk said her son did not experience the same sleeping problems before the Waymo lot opened or when they lived in their previous apartment.

Santa Monica for Renters Rights also backed the city's request for an injunction, telling the court residents should not have to endure sleepless nights because of the facilities.

"SMRR is deeply disturbed by the disruptions and the burdens imposed on residential neighbors as a result of Waymo's current operation of the lots," the group wrote. "It simply is not acceptable that residents should be forced to endure sleepless nights in their homes."

Waymo has denied that its operations constitute a public nuisance.

The company argued it made several changes to reduce neighborhood impacts, including software updates aimed at reducing noise, additional staffing, light and noise barriers and modified vehicle behavior near the sites.

Waymo told the court those changes materially reduced noise and light levels and eased traffic congestion around the lots.

Waymo also argued that the alleged nuisance was created by local residents interfering with its operations during overnight hours.

Phillips found the mitigation efforts had not gone far enough and ordered Waymo to suspend overnight operations at both Broadway facilities while the case proceeds.

Editor’s Note: This story includes reporting from City News Service, a content partner of Westside Current.