A local judge has ruled that autonomous vehicle giant, Waymo, must cease overnight charging operations at its facilities on Broadway in Santa Monica. The decision stems from complaints of public nuisance due to light and sound pollution.

Christopher Potter, a resident living adjacent to the charging stations, described the constant 'beep beep beep' as an “incessant disturbance that hinders both our tranquillity during the day and our peace during the night.”

The injunction, granted by Judge Bradley S. Phillips of the Los Angeles Superior Court, prohibits Waymo from operating its charging lots on Broadway between 11 pm and 6 am. The area is also home to a private school and residential buildings.

Residents have complained consistently for over a year, with Dylan Moore noting an immediate difference: “You can hear the crickets, you can hear your thoughts, it’s not a fleet of locusts descending on the neighborhood.”