Waymo’s Rogue Robotaxi Triggers Fury: Noisy AI Clogs Streets, Sparks Backlash

Silicon Valley’s autonomous darling hits a pothole—literally. A Waymo vehicle’s malfunction turns city streets into a honking hellscape, blocking traffic while its AI brain struggles to reboot. Residents fume as the ’future of transport’ becomes a $200K road hazard.

Tech’s solution? More sensors. Everyone else’s? A tow truck. Meanwhile, investors keep dumping cash into robotaxis—because nothing says ’growth stock’ like a car that can’t parallel park without triggering a neighborhood revolt.

TLDR:

• Waymo is under fire in Santa Monica as residents push back against the constant beeping and traffic disruptions.
• Frustrated locals have responded with unusual protest tactics, including physically blocking cars to force pileups.
• City officials were caught off guard raising deeper concerns over transparency and corporate accountability.
• Despite noise-reduction efforts and public reassurances from the company

Tensions are mounting in Santa Monica as Alphabet-owned autonomous vehicle pioneer Waymo grapples with escalating community backlash over persistent noise and disruptive traffic caused by its fleet operating from a local parking lot.

The company’s quiet setup of a charging and maintenance hub for more than 50 self-driving cars blindsided city officials and residents alike, sparking frustration and protests in a neighborhood now plagued by near-constant beeping and congestion.

City Officials Caught Off Guard

The uproar began when neighbors started noticing incessant sounds from the lot—primarily the beeping noise electric vehicles emit when reversing, required by California law for pedestrian safety. With Waymo vehicles moving and repositioning around the clock, what should have been a low-key operation quickly became a noisy disturbance affecting the entire area.

Santa Monica’s Director of Transit Services, Anuj Gupta, expressed surprise and concern after discovering Waymo’s presence had never been disclosed in any city planning or communications. “The fact that this went unnoticed until complaints poured in is troubling,” Gupta said in internal emails obtained by this outlet. While the lot is privately leased, the impact on nearby homes and streets has been anything but private.

Residents Fight Back

Frustrated by the noise and traffic, local residents have taken matters into their own hands with inventive forms of protest. Dubbed “stacking the Waymos,” some residents have repeatedly blocked the autonomous cars by walking in front of them, placing cones in their path, or using their own vehicles to create impromptu roadblocks, bringing Waymo convoys to a halt.

Videos like this is why I have my doubts on Waymo.

Blocking three emergency vehicles in the middle of an intersection, and it just looks confused. pic.twitter.com/wUe7RDltzL

— Nic Cruz Patane (@niccruzpatane) June 2, 2025

One particularly vocal protester attracted multiple police visits and even faced an unsuccessful legal attempt by Waymo to obtain a restraining order. These confrontations have amplified tensions between the community and the tech giant.

Waymo Promises to Improve

In response to the backlash, Waymo has pledged to reduce its operation’s impact. Measures announced include shifting worker schedules to limit nighttime activity, switching to quieter vacuum equipment, banning certain noisy tasks during late hours, and installing noise-absorbing landscaping around the lot.

Despite these efforts, many residents remain skeptical. They argue that Waymo’s outreach came too late and lacked meaningful community involvement. “It feels like they’re trying to put a band-aid on a problem they created without asking us first,” said a local resident who requested anonymity.

City officials confirmed that the noise currently complies with municipal limits. However, for those living nearby, the disruption feels far from acceptable. The parking lot has become a symbol of the challenges tech companies face in balancing innovation with neighborhood quality of life.

Waymo’s Growth and Safety Record

While grappling with local controversy, Waymo continues to lead in autonomous vehicle deployment. On May 20, the company celebrated a major milestone with its Waymo Driver service surpassing 10 million paid rides, doubling its tally in just five months.

Last month, Co-CEO Tekedra Mawakana highlighted this achievement during Google I/O, attributing their rapid growth to an uncompromising focus on safety. “Our approach prioritizes safety above speed,”Mawakana said, contrasting Waymo’s cautious, city-by-city expansion and reliance on high-resolution maps and lidar with competitors that require human intervention.

Since 2020, Waymo’s fully driverless vehicles have been operating 24/7, and their data shows an 80% reduction in airbag deployments and injury-causing crashes compared to human drivers.