Local News in Brief : 2 Legislators Oppose Proposal to Add Ventura Freeway Deck

Two state legislators whose districts include portions of the Ventura Freeway on Tuesday announced opposition to a proposed second deck on the freeway, saying it would cause too much noise, visual blight and congestion in nearby residential neighborhoods.

In a prepared statement, State Sen. Herschel Rosenthal (D-Los Angeles) said that a second deck along the heavily congested Ventura Freeway in the San Fernando Valley would increase air pollution and that noise would “drastically increase, rendering certain neighborhoods uninhabitable.”

Assemblyman Terry B. Friedman (D-Tarzana) issued a statement calling the upper deck plan “stupid” and said it would “cause more problems than it could ever solve.”

The state Department of Transportation last month completed a study of double-decking the freeway from Universal City to Calabasas, concluding that it would be costly but feasible.

Caltrans said the 18-mile deck, which would be built to accommodate a rail line and one lane in each direction for cars and buses, would cost $910 million and would displace more than 1,000 homes and businesses.

Caltrans officials said there are no plans to proceed with double decking and no money available to pay for it.

The plan has drawn mixed reviews from elected officials and strong opposition from homeowner groups along the freeway.