In the end, officials concluded a noise barrier wouldn’t provide enough protection to enough homes to justify the cost.

That was disappointing news in Mossy Oaks, where a core group of families have deep roots. Children who grow up and move away tend to return and build houses of their own, where kids play across the street from their grandparents.

For years, everything was peaceful, even with the occasional noise from a passing train, Kindall said. The wooded patches that separated homes from the tracks were all the protection needed.

The tollway cut a wide path through the area, and crews clearing the land felled the trees. The railroad noise increased dramatically, Kindall said.

“I now have stuff in my house that shakes that didn’t before,” Kindall said. “Pictures on the wall.”

via As parkway segment nears completion, residents plead for sound relief – Houston Chronicle.