Waymo is fighting back against the court order that shut down overnight operations at its two Broadway charging stations in Santa Monica.
The autonomous vehicle company filed a notice of appeal Thursday, July 30, challenging the preliminary injunction that Judge Bradley S. Phillips issued three days earlier. The ruling bars Waymo from operating its lots at 1222 and 1310 Broadway between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. while the city's public nuisance lawsuit proceeds to trial.
The appeal means the ban residents celebrated last week could be overturned before the case is fully decided.
What the injunction requires
Phillips found the city had shown a reasonable probability of winning its nuisance claim, concluding that noise, lights, and traffic from overnight charging interfere with nearby residents' ability to enjoy their homes. He noted Waymo can still provide overnight rides using vehicles charged during daytime 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 in his July 27 ruling, according to the Santa Monica Lookout.
The injunction remains in effect pending trial.
Waymo says it already made fixes
In court filings, Waymo said it hired additional staff, implemented software updates to reduce noise, installed barriers to block light and sound, disabled reverse-beeping, turned off most vehicle lights during charging, and pursued additional curb access to reduce alley traffic.
The judge wasn't persuaded.
Waymo also alleged that some residents intentionally disrupted operations by honking horns, using smoke detectors to simulate vehicle noise, and blocking roadways near the sites. Chief Deputy City Attorney Romy Ganschow rejected that claim during pre-injunction proceedings in May, saying Waymo "has chosen to respond to this lawsuit by blaming the victims."
The backstory
Waymo began using the two former Ford dealership lots in November 2024. The sites, owned by SMF Property Holdings LLC and operated by charging company Voltera Power, sit adjacent to multiple apartment complexes. Residents reported reverse-beeping, humming, workers talking late at night, flashing lights, and traffic congestion in a nearby alley. Court documents describe neighbors comparing the experience to living in a "mini-Las Vegas" or "next door to a spaceship."
The City Council voted 6-0 in November 2025 to declare the overnight operations a public nuisance and ordered activity to stop between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. Waymo did not comply, as we reported July 28, and instead sued the city on Dec. 17, 2025, arguing its October 2023 permits authorized 24-hour operations. The city countersued a week later.
What's next
No public statement from Waymo specifically addressing the appeal has been released. The city has not publicly responded to the appeal filing. The city's case is led by Chief Deputy City Attorney Ganschow under City Attorney Heidi von Tongeln.
Mayor Caroline Torosis said July 29 that the city "welcomes the future of transportation" but that "new technologies thrive in Santa Monica when they're designed to operate compatibly with the neighborhoods around them."
A status conference is scheduled for Friday, Oct. 23, to review potential remediation measures at the Broadway sites.
