Universal Studios Hollywood is adding two more sound barriers around Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift after complaints from nearby Toluca Lake residents about rider noise, and Blooloop first reported the move. The coaster is already in technical rehearsals, so the park is changing the site while guests are still being admitted.

For readers tracking Universal United Kingdom Resort, the direct link is unconfirmed. One read-across is that Universal is still willing to alter a large outdoor coaster after testing starts, which matters anywhere the company is building open-air ride capacity near existing neighbourhoods. That is an inference, not a Bedford-specific update.

What changed at the ride

Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift is Universal Studios Hollywood’s first high-speed outdoor coaster. Universal says the ride is built to reach up to 72 mph, uses 4,100 feet of aerial track and 360-degree rotating vehicles, and was designed with sound-reduction technology from the outset.

Even so, noise has become the main issue. Residents have complained that screams carry into Toluca Lake, and the office of L.A. City Councilmember Adrin Nazarian said the park will install two additional sound barriers. The same update said recent sound testing met Universal’s requirements.

What Universal says happens next

Nazarian’s office said on social media that the barrier work should be finished by early September. Universal said it would keep engaging with neighbours while the coaster remains in technical rehearsals ahead of opening, and the park is still treating the attraction as a live test rather than a finished rollout.

The immediate watchpoints are the barrier schedule and whether the current rehearsal pattern changes once the extra mitigation is in place. Beyond that, there is no confirmed Bedford impact; the significance here is mainly how Universal is handling one of its headline outdoor coasters before opening day.

Update: 17 August 2026

ABC7 Los Angeles first reported that Universal Studios Hollywood will add two new sound barriers for Fast and Furious: Hollywood Drift after complaints from neighbours.

The extra shielding is intended to reduce noise from the attraction, which has been the subject of concern from nearby residents.

Update: 18 August 2026

Universal Studios has now said its Fast & Furious coaster is not delayed, pushing back against concerns over noise complaints. The clarification comes after speculation that the project’s timetable had slipped, but the company has not indicated any change to the opening plan.

The Los Angeles Times first reported the comments, which centre on the impact of noise complaints rather than any confirmed delay to the ride itself.