Residents living near Waymo's charging facilities in Santa Monica are demanding immediate action over what they describe as persistent noise pollution that has disrupted their neighborhood and daily lives.
The charging stations, located on Broadway near Euclid Street and in close proximity to both an elementary school and multiple apartment complexes, have become the focus of growing resident complaints about noise from the autonomous vehicles.
While some residents have taken their complaints to the City and Waymo directly, others have mounted a public campaign to spur change.
“My home is next to the new Waymo station located at Euclid & Broadway in Santa Monica. Its close proximity to an elementary school and multiple apartment complexes including mine, has turned our once peaceful neighborhood into a hub for noise pollution," said Christopher Potter in a public petition.
Local resident Darius Boorn, who has lived at his 14th Street address for eight years, described the situation as "dire straits" in communications with city officials. Boorn claims the charging stations emit "a piercing fire-alarm like bell ring in procession with loud electronic beeps" that persist throughout day and night.
"I have lost sleep, and my ability to work day and night," Boorn wrote in a statement to city officials. "I have lost and am losing sleep, my work is suffering, my ability to work and make money from my work is suffering... Worst of all, I have developed auditory hallucinations and now hear these sounds elsewhere because of this."
The most frequent complaint centers on the backup beeping sounds made by the autonomous vehicles. According to the petition, the "constant 'beep-beep-beep' sound as the autonomous vehicles back out of their spaces (in their own lots) is an incessant disturbance that hinders both our tranquillity during the day and our peace during the night."
Residents have proposed specific solutions, including altering the vehicles' programming to lower the volume of backup sounds when operating within Waymo's own facilities, while maintaining normal volume levels when in public spaces.
The situation has already led to confrontation, with one neighbor reportedly being issued a restraining order from Waymo for blocking vehicles from entering the lot. Residents have attempted multiple avenues to address their concerns, including contacting the city, commenting on Waymo's social media, emailing the company directly, and speaking with on-site workers.
In response to resident concerns, Waymo says it is taking steps to address the noise issues. "We strive to be good neighbors in the cities that we operate. We are in ongoing conversation with the City's Department of Transportation as we explore and implement mitigations that address neighbors' concerns," a Waymo spokesperson said.
The company has already implemented several measures, including planting trees and other foliage to serve as physical sound barriers.
According to Waymo, "The City of Santa Monica has taken sound measurements at the charging facility. City Code Enforcement staff confirmed the noise levels did not rise to the level of a violation of the City's Exterior Noise Standards."
The City of Santa Monica acknowledged receiving complaints from residents beginning in February. The Department of Transportation reports hearing from three residents and has been working with Waymo to resolve concerns related to "noise, night-time charging and cleaning operations and driverless vehicles moving quickly through alleys to access the facilities."
According to a statement from the city, Waymo has implemented both short-term and long-term measures in response to complaints. Short-term actions include instructing staff to avoid loud talking and music playing, introducing quieter vacuums, restricting vacuuming hours to between 7 a.m. and 9 p.m., and programming vehicles to operate at speeds below 10 mph in alleys.
Medium and longer-term measures include planting 10-foot, rapidly growing bamboo and cypress around the perimeter of charging station sites to reduce sound and light, and reviewing whether vehicle sounds can be adjusted while maintaining pedestrian safety.
The city notes there are regulatory challenges in addressing resident concerns.
"The city has no jurisdiction to regulate Waymo's operations, as autonomous vehicle/robotaxi services are exclusively permitted in California by the California Public Utilities Commission and the Department of Motor Vehicles," the city statement reads. Additionally, "federal regulations require all hybrid vehicles and EVs to beep when backing up at a volume sufficient to alert any pedestrians or bicyclists."
Despite these limitations, the Department of Transportation says it will continue working with Waymo to address resident concerns.
Residents remain skeptical of the efforts made thus far. "Neither the company nor the city has done anything," Boon stated. "I believe through the preponderance of evidence so far that I have obtained, that Waymo is well aware of the problem and is simply ignoring it for some reason."
For now, the backup beeps and operational noise continue, leaving affected residents unsatisfied with the response and seeking more dramatic action to restore quiet to their neighborhood.
