Universal Studios Hollywood is taking action to quiet down its newest thrill ride following a wave of noise complaints from nearby residents. Testing on the upcoming outdoor roller coaster, "Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift," sent loud rider screams echoing across the adjacent Lakeside Golf Course and into nearby Toluca Lake neighborhoods.
In response to the community backlash, Los Angeles City Councilmember Adrin Nazarian announced that Universal Studios will install two additional sound barriers to help block out the noise. Construction on the new sound walls is already underway and is expected to finish by early September.
Official Statements and Community Quotes
Neighborhood residents living near the theme park reported hearing loud screaming every few seconds while the ride was being tested with passengers. As originally reported in local coverage on KTLA 5 News:
“Like every 30-40 seconds, you just keep hearing screams. It's like this is going to be our new sound in the neighborhood all day long.” — Craig Strong, Local Resident
Addressing the noise concerns, theme park representatives emphasized that the ride already meets city legal standards, but they are adding extra sound controls out of respect for their neighbors:
“Testing completed to date confirms the attraction is operating in compliance with sound ordinance requirements. Community feedback has been an important part of our testing process and in response to that feedback, we are implementing additional sound-reduction measures to further lessen sound levels in the adjacent neighborhood.” — Universal Studios Hollywood Spokesperson
How Universal Plans to Reduce the Coaster Noise
Building an outdoor roller coaster that reaches speeds up to 73 mph along a hillside next to residential homes presented significant acoustic challenges for theme park engineers. To prevent rider noise from disturbing local homeowners, Universal Studios is combining structural sound walls with specialized engineering features:
- Massive Sound Walls: The park is building two major sound-absorbing walls, including over 900 feet of total sound barrier structures designed to capture sound waves before they travel into local neighborhoods.
- Half-Pipe Sound Shields: Protective half-pipe shields encase portions of the elevated outdoor track to muffle high-frequency screams right at the source.
- 360-Degree Rotating Ride Vehicles: The coaster's individual cars spin 360 degrees. Engineers have programmed the vehicles to spin away from residential areas during major drops and "key scream moments" to direct rider voices back into the park interior.
- Low-Rumble Track Bed: The track installation incorporates pea gravel along the bed to reduce heavy mechanical vibrations and quiet track rumbling.
Theme park leadership plans to hold a community meeting with local homeowners to answer questions, review sound monitoring data, and discuss feedback directly before the ride officially opens to the general public.
Acoustic Testing Protocols and Municipal Oversight
The ongoing noise mitigation effort highlights how large entertainment venues manage complex environmental factors during major expansion projects. Universal Studios installed sound-monitoring microphones across key points in Toluca Lake to record real-time decibel levels during daytime passenger rehearsals. Engineers collect this acoustic data to analyze how sound waves bounce off surrounding hillsides and open green spaces.
City Councilmember Adrin Nazarian's office has served as a direct liaison between residents and park executives. Municipal officials confirmed that while early technical rehearsals complied with existing legal noise limits, adding extra structural barriers ensures that long-term theme park operations will not cause continuous disruption to neighboring homeowners once the coaster reaches full daily passenger capacity.
The debate over coaster noise highlights a long-standing tension in Los Angeles between major entertainment attractions and the quiet neighborhoods surrounding them:
- Protecting Residential Peace: Homeowners argue that living near a major film studio and theme park should not mean enduring constant, daily noise pollution. Neighborhood advocates contend that high-speed outdoor coasters belong indoors or further away from residential borders, pointing out that even if noise levels meet bare minimum city laws, constant screaming ruins the quality of life for families nearby.
- Economic Growth and Theme Park Rights: On the other hand, business supporters and theme park enthusiasts emphasize that Universal Studios Hollywood is a major economic driver for the city that generates thousands of jobs and millions in tourism revenue. Proponents maintain that Universal has been a transparent corporate neighbor, investing heavily in expensive engineering solutions and acting responsibly by adding extra sound walls despite already meeting municipal sound ordinances.
- Concerns Over Permanent Infrastructure Changes: Some local urban planners question whether retrofitting sound walls after ride construction reflects a flaw in initial environmental impact reviews, arguing that theme parks should complete full acoustic shielding before beginning open-air testing.
THE QUICK BREAKDOWN
- The Attraction: "Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift" outdoor roller coaster at Universal Studios Hollywood.
- The Problem: Nearby Toluca Lake residents reported constant screaming noise during early ride testing.
- The Solution: Universal is building two additional sound walls, installing track shields, using pea gravel beds, and programming rotating cars to face away from homes.
- Timeline: Sound wall construction is scheduled for completion in early September.
- Original Coverage: Review original reporting details via the KTLA 5 News Segment.