Fast & Furious
UNIVERSAL CITY (CNS) – Universal Studios Hollywood‘s “Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift” roller coaster opened Wednesday, weeks after complaints from nearby residents about screams from riders prompted the park to plan additional sound barriers.
The outdoor roller coaster, based on Universal Pictures’ “Fast & Furious” film franchise, reaches speeds of up to 72 mph, making it the fastest coaster in the Universal portfolio. Its vehicles rotate 360 degrees to simulate the sensation of cars drifting during a race, park officials said.
“Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift’ is officially open, and we are so excited to be able to put guests in the driver’s seat of one of the most celebrated film franchises in history,” Scott Strobl, executive vice president and general manager of Universal Studios Hollywood, said. “The debut of this first-of-its-kind roller coaster is a literal game changer for Universal Studios Hollywood, and we look forward to sharing this thrilling experience with fans of the Fast Saga and our guests visiting from around the world.”
But enthusiasm for the coaster — which features four launches along 4,100 feet of track, reaching forces of up to 3.6 Gs — was met fast and furiously by nearby residents who said they had heard enough.
Universal City Neighbors, a grassroots coalition of residents living near the park, gathered on Toluca Estates Drive in Toluca Lake as the coaster opened Wednesday to hear the riders’ screams firsthand and call attention to what members say has become a persistent disruption in surrounding neighborhoods.
“We just want the screams to stop coming into our neighborhood,” Judith Angel, a grandmother who has lived in Toluca Lake for more than 30 years, said.
“My two-year-old granddaughter got out of the car at my house and was afraid when she heard the screams. You know, screams aren’t the same type of sound as the hum of a freeway. As humans, we’re trained to be on alert and respond to screams. It’s really, really difficult living with this noise over the last 4 months during the coaster testing. Now that the ride has officially opened, it’s even louder and more consistent.”
The group said it is seeking additional noise mitigation and communication from the park about efforts to address the problem.
The Greater Toluca Lake Neighborhood Council and the Studio City Neighborhood Council have separately adopted resolutions calling on Universal to address the noise and pursue mitigation measures, according to the coalition.
Universal has scheduled a Sept. 30 community meeting with residents to discuss sound-mitigation plans, the group said.
The ride is located on the park’s Upper Lot and travels over and under portions of the multilevel Starway escalator. Universal said the coaster was constructed with sound-reduction technology.
Noise from the attraction became an issue during testing earlier this summer after the park began allowing passengers aboard, with residents in nearby Toluca Lake complaining about persistent screams from riders.
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