Driverless Taxis' Beeping Causes Headaches For Santa Monica Residents

SANTA MONICA, CA — A facility for driverless taxis is causing headaches for some Santa Monica residents.

At issue is a parking lot used by Waymo to charge its driverless taxis at Euclid Street and Broadway. "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,'" resident Christopher Potter wrote in a Change.org petition.

Potter — along with nearly 100 other supporters — are calling on Waymo to give them some peace and quiet. He wants Waymo to turn down the volume of the cars' beeping when they're in the confines of their charging lot.

Waymo offered the following statement to the Santa Monica Daily Press: "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."

The statement continued, saying that city officials measured sound levels at the charging facility and found the noise levels did not violate city standards.

The city has received complaints about the noise, but officials told KTLA they have limited control over Waymo's operations, which is under the jurisdiction of the California Public Utilities Commission and the Department of Motor Vehicles.

Waymo, owned by Google parent Alphabet, has operated its driverless taxis in Los Angeles County since early 2024. Since then, they've become a common sight on the region's roads. And this isn't the first time the vehicles have led to issues.

Last moth, a Waymo vehicle caused a backup at a busy Chick-fil-A drive-thru in Santa Monica after it became stuck.