Worse news: The sound walls aren't working

I couldn't find the letter about the would-be poet waxing poetically about the sound walls (April 12, T.O. Acorn editorial, "Widening project on the 23 Freeway creates more than one hassle"), but I do have my own opinions about the sound walls. (Editor's note: The letter ran April 19.)

My property backs up to the 23 Freeway, and I looked forward with much anticipation to its completion. Much to my dismay, it hasn't abated the sound at all.

I can stand in my backyard and see, over the top of said wall, the cars passing by. I contacted the representative of Caltrans, whom I have been in correspondence with since the project started, and relayed this message to him.

He said, and I quote from his e-mail, "Sound travels in waves and the walls work to break them up. There will be no changes to the existing project. You can contact the Ventura County Transportation Commission (VCTC) and inquire if they will consider funding a wall replacement once this project is completed."

It seems to me that now would be the time to address this issue, not when the contractors have left and taken all their scaffolding away, incurring additional costs to bring it back and set it up again.

In a previous e-mail I asked if there were height restrictions, and he commented that the wall's height was determined by previous surveys in relationship to the existing properties.

Indeed. I assume he's a good man, but he has shown little patience with me in the past concerning my previous queries concerning this project.

In the beginning they wanted to put a 12-foot wall at the back of my and my neighbors' yards, which are already small. I contacted all my neighbors, suggesting they place a 12-foot board against their existing fence and envision that spanning the width of their yard. Needless to say we all voted against that idea.

In retrospect, considering the ineffectual wall that now stands, we made the right decision, but they dropped the ball in respect to their survey.
Dennis R. Ling
Thousand Oaks