SOUND BARRIERS TO GO UP; STATE BOARD BYPASSES PROJECTS WAITING 10 YEARS.Byline: Terri Hardy Sacramento Bureau A state commission has approved $31.5 million to build freeway soundwalls in the San Fernando Valley San Fernando Valley Valley, southern California, U.S. Northwest of central Los Angeles, the valley is bounded by the San Gabriel, Santa Susana, and Santa Monica mountains and the Simi Hills. , but a number of long-awaited soundwalls are not included, officials said Friday. The California Transportation Commission voted Thursday to set aside $170 million for 58 projects statewide, including as many as 13 soundwalls in the Valley, Burbank and Glendale that were identified on a 1989 list. However, the commission's executive director could not say whether more money would be made available for a host of soundwall projects that have accumulated since then - including 20 in the Valley and a total of 78 in Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. County. Assemblyman as·sem·bly·man n. A man who is a member of a legislative assembly. assemblyman Noun pl -men a member of a legislative assembly Noun 1. Bob Hertzberg, D-Van Nuys, said getting the soundwalls was among his top priorities and vowed to push for more money. ``We'll keep working to get the rest built in the San Fernando Valley,'' Hertzberg said. Some residents left without soundwalls were not happy. ``I think it stinks,'' said Al Dimente of North Hollywood who, with his neighbors, suffers from the din of the 170 Freeway but won't be getting a soundwall under the funding plan. ``A year ago, Caltrans told us when they got the money we'd get our soundwall,'' he said. ``They've made a million and one promises that they haven't kept. I don't trust them anymore.'' State Sen. Richard Alarcon, D-Van Nuys, said he met with the director of the state Department of Transportation several weeks ago to push for money for Dimente's soundwall, but was told there was no money for the project. ``The clear message was that they didn't have money for any of the other projects,'' Alarcon said. ``In the North Hollywood case, these residents were promised the wall and they should have gotten first priority.'' Alarcon and other lawmakers, however, expressed approval that funds are being approved for the Valley region. ``You take what you can get,'' Alarcon said. Hertzberg and Assemblyman Scott Wildman Scott Wildman was a California State Assemblyman from 1996 until 2000. That year, he lost a State Senate primary to Dr. Jack Scott, an Assemblyman from a neighboring district. Wildman received 46.7% of the vote. , D-Glendale, had sought to speed up funding through Assembly Bill 102, a measure to require money to be set aside for the 58 soundwalls on the 1989 list. News of the funding didn't satisfy Carolyn Boger, who along with her neighbors has fought for years to get a noise barrier built along the 134 Freeway at Hollywood Way. ``I'll believe it when I see it. It's folly to put confidence in these people,'' Boger said. ``Money had already been set aside for these soundwalls years ago but it was stolen for earthquake retrofitting.'' On Thursday, the state Transportation Commission voted to follow through on the 10-year-old projects by setting aside the $170 million. It will take a total of $230 million to pay for the 58 soundwall projects on the 1989 list, and the remainder of the money is expected to be allocated in two years, said Bob Reman re·man tr.v. re·manned, re·man·ning, re·mans 1. To supply with new personnel: reman a ship. 2. To imbue with new manliness or courage. , executive director of the commission. Reman said the commission did not discuss any additional soundwall projects and voted only on Caltrans recommendations to set aside the $170 million for the 1989 soundwalls. Reman said the commission's deliberations Thursday involved projects totaling $19 billion, and the soundwalls ``were a very small element'' of the discussion. The commission's actions on the soundwalls were prompted by a letter from Maria Contreras-Sweet, secretary of the state's Business, Transportation and Housing Agency, calling for the soundwalls. Contreras-Sweet said the state's program to build soundwalls has been, to some residents, ``only a hollow promise that someday some·day adv. At an indefinite time in the future. Usage Note: The adverbs someday and sometime express future time indefinitely: We'll succeed someday. Come sometime. the peaceful environment of their homes would be restored.'' SOUNDWALLS The following is a partial list of soundwall projects approved this week for funding by the state Transportation Commission: Burbank-Toluca Lake: Ventura Freeway The Ventura Freeway is a freeway in southern California running from Ventura to Pasadena. It is the principal east-west route through Ventura County and in the southern San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles County. (134), westbound side from Hollywood Way west 2.1 miles. $5 million Burbank-Glendale: Golden State Freeway The Golden State Freeway is a north-south freeway running through Kern County and Los Angeles County, California. Originally built as U.S. Highway 99, it was re-signed as Interstate 5 in 1964. (5), southbound south·bound adj. Going toward the south. southbound Adjective going towards the south Adj. 1. side WHestern Avenue to Alameda Alameda (ăləmē`də, –mā`də), city (1990 pop. 76,459), Alameda co., W central Calif., on an island just off the eastern shore of San Francisco Bay; settled 1850, inc. as a city 1884. Avenue. $3 million Glendale: Ventura Freeway (134), westbound side Concord Street to Columbus Avenue. $1.4 million Pacoima-Arleta: Golden State Freeway (5), northbound north·bound adj. Going toward the north. northbound Adjective going towards the north Adj. 1. side from Osborne Street north for 0.3 miles. $540,000 Sherman Oaks: Ventura Freeway (101), northbound side Coldwater Canyon Avenue to Woodman Avenue. $3.4 million Ventura Freeway (101), northbound side Hazeltine Avenue to Van Nuys Boulevard. $2.4 million Ventura Freeway (101), southbound side Woodman Avenue to Van Nuys Boulevard. $3.8 million Ventura and Hollywood freeways (101), southbound side Tujunga Avenue to Moorpark Street. $3.7 million Sherman Oaks, Studio City: Ventura Freeway (101), southbound side Whitsett Avenue to Woodman Avenue. $7.6 million Sun Valley: Golden State Freeway (5), northbound side Hollywood Way to Sunland Boulevard. $2.4 million Tarzana: Ventura Freeway (101), northbound side Reseda Boulevard to Winnetka Avenue. $4.8 million Woodland Hills: Ventura Freeway (101), southbound side Fallbrook Avenue to Shoup Avenue. $2 million Griffith Park Griffith Park is a large public park at the eastern end of the Santa Monica Mountains. It is situated in the Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. The park covers 4,210 acres (17 km²) of land, making it one of the largest urban parks in North America. area: Ventura Freeway (134), eastbound east·bound adj. Going toward the east. eastbound Adjective going towards the east Adj. 1. side Los Angeles River The Los Angeles River is an intermittent river flowing through Los Angeles County, California, from Canoga Park in the west end of the San Fernando Valley, 51 miles (82 km) southeast to its mouth in Long Beach. to Forest Lawn Forest Lawn is the name of a number of different places:
$3.1 million Source: state of California CAPTION(S): Box Box: SOUNDWALLS (See text) |
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