Court grants City's request for preliminary injunction pausing overnight operations at Waymo's Broadway charging facilities

July 28, 2026 3:04 PM

Order restores overnight quiet for residents living adjacent to the charging lots while the case proceeds to trial, as City reaffirms its commitment to innovative mobility that operates compatibly with neighborhoods

SANTA MONICA, Calif. (July 28, 2026) - On July 27, 2026, the Los Angeles County Superior Court granted the City of Santa Monica's motion for a preliminary injunction in the public nuisance case concerning around-the-clock autonomous vehicle charging and servicing operations at 1222 and 1310 Broadway.

Under the Court's order, Waymo is prohibited from operating the Broadway lots between the hours of 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. while the case proceeds to trial.

In granting the injunction, the Court found that the City had established a reasonable probability of prevailing on the merits of its public nuisance claim, concluding that the continual noise, lights and traffic generated by overnight operations at the Broadway sites interfere with nearby residents' comfortable enjoyment of their lives and homes.

The Court further determined that the harm experienced by residents outweighs any harm to Waymo while the injunction is in place, noting that Waymo remains free to provide overnight ride services in Santa Monica using vehicles charged and serviced during daytime hours.

"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."

For well over a year, residents living adjacent to the Broadway facilities have reported persistent overnight noise, lighting and traffic impacts that disrupted sleep, comfort and basic livability in their homes. Before seeking court intervention, the City worked for months in an attempt to resolve these impacts cooperatively, including direct engagement with Waymo and its charging partner, formal requests to modify overnight operations, and an extensive mediation process.

The City was represented in the litigation by the Santa Monica City Attorney's Office, with Chief Deputy City Attorney Romy Ganschow leading the City's case under the direction of City Attorney Heidi von Tongeln.

"Santa Monica welcomes the future of transportation, and autonomous vehicles and the infrastructure that supports them have an important place here," Torosis said. "This outcome reflects what we've said from the beginning: new technologies thrive in Santa Monica when they're designed to operate compatibly with the neighborhoods around them. We remain ready to work with Waymo on solutions that let their operations and our residents' quality of life coexist."

The City emphasized that this case has never been about whether autonomous vehicles belong in Santa Monica. 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 City remains committed to working with Waymo and its partners on operational, design, and site improvements that reduce impacts on neighbors over the long term. To that end, the Court has scheduled a status conference for Oct. 23, 2026, to review the status of potential remediation measures at the Broadway sites.

The preliminary injunction will remain in effect pending trial, at which the City's public nuisance claims will be fully adjudicated.

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