Trees added to roadway

To maintain the rural character of the Conejo Valley, local city officials made an agreement with the California Department of Transportation to plant more than 350 trees between Janss and Olsen roads along the 23 Freeway.

Caltrans initially intended to plant 1-gallon tree saplings, but at the prompting of city officials the agency agreed to plant larger 24inch box trees to more quickly improve the view along the freeway.

"The change will make an immediate impact. It's primarily for visual purposes, and it does help with air quality a bit," said Mark Watkins, public works director for Thousand Oaks.

Costs for smaller trees were included in the Caltrans project, but the upgrade was not. The city is seeking a grant to cover the extra $330,000. If it's not approved, the city will be responsible for the extra costs, said Watkins.

Caltrans also set aside a half million dollars to embellish the sidewalls with vine plantings that will cling to the walls to soften their look and reduce the opportunity for graffiti, he said.

"People are happy with the widening and that everything is ahead of schedule, but they really want to see landscaping out there," Watkins said.

Both the city and Caltrans are collaborating to install waterlines to hydrate the young trees and the wall landscaping.