FREEWAY NEIGHBORS MEET WITH OFFICIALS ABOUT SOUND WALLS.

Byline: Alicia Doyle Daily News Staff Writer

Spurred by complaints that noise has made living stressful and decreased property values along the Ronald Reagan Freeway, residents and civic leaders met Friday to find ways to speed construction of sound walls.

``These residents are extremely frustrated,'' said Simi Valley Councilwoman Barbara Williamson. ``We want to give the people who live near the 118 (Freeway) some relief from noise pollution.''

Friday's discussion group included residents who live near the freeway, Williamson and representatives from the offices of state Sen. Cathie Wright, R-Simi Valley, and Assemblywoman Paula Boland, R-Granada Hills. Officials from the City Manager's Office and environmental services also attended.

Dave Butler, a field representative from Wright's office, said it would be at least seven years before the state Department of Transportation comes up with the $1.3 million needed to build 3,200 feet of sound walls, officials said.

During Friday's meeting, officials discussed ways to come up with a third of the cost, which would move the building date forward. If the city could somehow come up with the funds entirely, the project could begin right away, officials said.

The strategy team also is looking at purchasing a port-a-wall at a fourth of the cost of the Caltrans project, Williamson said.

The issue of sound walls surfaced after homeowners complained that their homes were being bombarded by traffic noise - especially trucks - since the connector between the Ronald Reagan and Moorpark freeways opened in October 1993.

To be eligible, freeway noise must reach at least 67 decibels, Caltrans officials said. In addition, relief is available only to residents of homes built before the freeway opened or before an actual physical improvement of the freeway occurred.

Caltrans officials who performed a noise measurement on the freeway between Tapo Canyon Road and Sequoia Avenue showed the noise level to be at about 70 decibels.

Caltrans officials agreed in April to look at whether the connector is an improvement that increased traffic. If so, several Simi Valley neighborhoods would be eligible for sound walls.

Williamson said the city plans to go ``head to head'' with Caltrans on the issue if necessary.

``They say there was a freeway there when these people bought their homes, but there was no connector to the (Moorpark), and no connector to the (Golden State),'' Williamson said. ``Traffic since then has increased considerably.''

Affected neighbors said freeway traffic causes unbearable noise, making conversation and sleep next to impossible. Some claim they can't even entertain in their own back yard, or open their bedroom windows.

``A truck goes by and it feels like an earthquake,'' said Libby Collier, whose Parkdale Avenue home was tested by Caltrans at 68.5 decibels. ``The noise is getting worse and worse.''