The overnight ban on Waymo's two Broadway charging lots stays in place after a Santa Monica judge rejected the company's emergency bid to resume round-the-clock operations.

Superior Court Judge Bradley S. Phillips denied Waymo's motion to stay the preliminary injunction on Saturday, Aug. 8, ruling the company failed to present new evidence justifying relief. The injunction, issued July 27, bars Waymo from operating its facilities at 1222 Broadway and 1310 Broadway between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. while the city's public nuisance lawsuit heads to trial.

"It presents no new facts that change the court's assessment of either (the city of Santa Monica's) likelihood of success on the merits, the presence of grave or irreparable harm to Waymo or the balance of hardships," Phillips wrote in his ruling, according to NBC Los Angeles.

Phillips said Waymo's stay request relied primarily on a declaration from a company marketing employee that "appeared to contain hearsay," the Westside Current reported.

The ruling is the latest setback for the Alphabet subsidiary, which had warned it would seek emergency appellate relief if denied. In court papers filed Aug. 7, Waymo attorneys argued that losing overnight access to "a vital charging hub" had already caused "sweeping, irrevocable harm" to its Southern California network. The company also sought a shorter stay while pursuing a writ of supersedeas from the Second District Court of Appeal, a special order that could temporarily halt enforcement of the injunction.

As we reported July 28, Phillips granted the original injunction after finding that overnight noise, lights and vehicle traffic at the Broadway sites "interfere with nearby residents' comfortable enjoyment of their lives and homes." Residents had complained for more than a year, describing the experience in court filings as living in a "mini-Las Vegas" or next to "a circus." City filings noted that vehicle sounds "echo off buildings along the alleys like a canyon."

The Santa Monica City Council voted 6-0 in November 2025 to declare the overnight operations a public nuisance. Waymo sued the city on Dec. 17, 2025, arguing its October 2023 permits explicitly authorized 24-hour charging and that state law limits local interference with electric vehicle infrastructure.

Waymo has said it took steps to reduce neighborhood impacts, including software updates, noise barriers and modifications to vehicle behavior near the sites. Phillips found those efforts insufficient to eliminate the nuisance.

The case is led by Chief Deputy City Attorney Romy Ganschow under City Attorney Heidi von Tongeln. A status conference is scheduled for Oct. 23 to review potential remediation measures at the Broadway sites. No trial date has been set.

Waymo had not publicly responded to the Aug. 8 stay denial as of publication. The company can still pursue its pending appeal or seek emergency relief from the appellate court.