Universal Studios Hollywood appears to be taking steps to address noise complaints regarding its new high-speed outdoor roller coaster. The office of L.A. City Councilmember Adrin Nazarian stated the theme park will install two additional sound barriers to mitigate the sound of rider screams on its new ride Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift, which have been described by nearby residents as “disturbing” and “untenable.”
Nazarian’s office made the announcement Monday evening on social media. Universal Studios Hollywood confirmed the plan. “We appreciate the community’s input and will continue to engage with our neighbors as the coaster remains in technical rehearsals ahead of its opening,” a spokesperson for the theme park said in a statement.
Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift, which is currently in a soft open phase, has come under attack from residents in the nearby Toluca Lake neighborhood.
“You think something is happening,” said Toluca Lake’s Patrick Nazari. “Like someone is getting murdered out there.”
Nazarian’s Instagram post stated that construction of the new sound barriers would be completed by early September. It also insinuated that recent testing of the coaster has met Universal’s sound requirements with the county.A community meeting is being planned by Universal and the Toluca Lake Homeowners Assn., stated the post.
Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift does not yet have an official opening date. The ride is operating in what Universal refers to “technical rehearsals,” which is essentially still a testing phase. It is not guaranteed to be operational on any given day, but has been cycling guests in recent days. In an email to residents, Universal said the ride is expected to operate from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. through much of August. When Halloween Horror Nights begins on Sept. 3, the coaster will begin to run until 10 p.m.
Universal Studios Hollywood has been proactive with Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift, devoting a website to just how silent and unobtrusive its groundbreaking coaster would be. Multiple noise mitigation efforts were undertaken — sound walls, scream shields and even pea gravel in the coaster’s tracks.
Residents have stated the coaster runs relatively quietly, noting that there were no complaints until it began testing with guests. At that point, say many Toluca Lake residents, the screams became untenable.
“I heard it, and I thought to myself, ‘There are going to be problems with this,’” said Toluca Lake’s Leonard R. Garner Jr.
Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift has been about a decade in the making. It’s a feat of engineering, situated on a hill between the park’s upper and lower lots, extending out toward Lankershim Boulevard. Universal has its own interest in limiting noise from the ride, beyond being a polite neighbor, as it is still a working studio.
The theme park has made outreach into the neighborhood over the years in an attempt to assuage concerns, be it distributing fliers or attending community meetings. And many a Toluca Lake resident enjoys some theme park perks courtesy of Universal, such as free parking, and invites to preopening events at the park.
