I-10 is a noisy neighbor for Memorial Park

But good fences make good neighbors, right? That's what the city thinks, apparently. The city's parks department is considering building a 2000-foot sound-barrier wall along I-10 between Washington and 610 to keep the noise out of Memorial Park. The wall would be 16-feet high and cost somewhere in the $480,000 area. Officials say it would greatly reduce traffic noise from I-10 around the park's small, asphalt track and tennis center. The wall, which would be financed by TxDoT, is still in the very early, conceptual stages.

Those who frequent Memorial Park have mixed fews. Some love the idea, saying that "noise distracts from this place a lot." Others see - er, hear - things differently. One jogger said the traffic roar sounds like "a nice river flowing," and another, less enthusiastic runner called it "something we've gotten used to." However you spin it, cars are noisy. Decibel readings in this area range from the 50s to the low 80s - above the level allowable under the city's noise ordinance.

Sally Tyler, the Memorial Park Conservancy's executive director, is skeptical of the idea. She suggested planting trees instead, but parks officials said there is little room for trees between the freeway and the park. They did say that the wall, which could reduce the noise level by 33%, could be painted with trees on the park side. Hmm.