Universal Studios set to add sound barriers to muffle screams from newest ride which is tormenting neighbors

Universal Studios Hollywood is set to install two additional sound barriers around its newest outdoor coaster following noise complaints from nearby residents, one of whom described riders’ screams as sounding like “bloody murder.”

The theme park’s upcoming attraction, Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift, features rotating vehicles moving at speeds up to 72 mph, which has brought intense reactions from people living in the adjacent Toluca Lake neighborhood. The ride is currently undergoing technical rehearsals.

Resident Patrick Nazari told the Los Angeles Times that the screams sounded like “someone is getting murdered out there.”

Los Angeles City Councilmember Adrin Nazarian’s office announced the park’s update on social media Monday evening. The statement indicated that recent coaster testing met official county sound requirements, but the park elected to add extra barriers to further reduce noise levels. Construction on those barriers is scheduled to finish by early September.

“We heard you,” Nazarian’s post read. “Universal will start installing two additional sound barriers to address noise concerns.”

Universal had already incorporated sound walls, scream shields and pea gravel inside the coaster tracks to dampen sound before testing, according to a website dedicated to the ride’s considerations for its surrounding community.

Neighbors have said that the machinery itself runs quietly, but the noise became problematic once test runs began carrying passengers.

Resident Colby Jensen told KTLA that the constant shouting sounded like “a horror film going on.” Another neighbor, Leonard R. Garner Jr., told the Los Angeles Times, “I heard it, and I thought to myself, ‘There are going to be problems with this.’”

In a statement to The Independent, a Universal Studios spokesperson said that testing completed to date showed that the attraction was “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,” the spokesperson said. “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.”

Universal and the Toluca Lake Homeowners Association plan to hold a community meeting to address local concerns. The park has also arranged a community hotline and installed monitoring microphones in the neighborhood, according to KTLA.

“You do hear the screaming, and I heard it late last night with the doors closed and you’re kind of like, what is that?” Toluca Lake resident John Heim told ABC 7 Los Angeles. “By the third time, you know what it is.”

Heim added that though mitigation efforts were noticeable, sound levels still varied depending on the day.

An official opening date for the ride has not yet been announced.

The Independent has contacted Universal Studios Hollywood for comment.