LA is notorious for its traffic, so the LA County Metropolitan Transportation Authority is eyeing a possible solution that’s used in London and Singapore. It’s congestion pricing: The city would charge you for driving on certain roads or highways, maybe always or just during peak hours. LA Metro is expected to unveil blueprints for its congestion pricing plan this summer.
“Planners have looked at three areas, specifically the 10 [freeway] from downtown to Santa Monica, the 405 [freeway] and other roads coming in and out of the San Fernando Valley,” says Rachel Uranga, LA Times reporter covering transportation and mobility. “So that would include major canyons, etc. And then the third option is all arteries going in and out of downtown Los Angeles.
She points out that congestion pricing would apply to the whole road, not just a single lane. The cost is unknown, but it could include subsidies for people with lower incomes. A 2022 version of this showed that the program could bring in $2.5 million daily.
Uranga acknowledges the chance that drivers would dodge the 110 freeway and instead take — and clog — side streets. LA also doesn’t have a robust public transit system.
“The planners really have to start thinking about: If you're going to impose this kind of congestion pricing on people, what other options are you going to get them?”
This plan is also meant to help California meet some of its climate goals. She says the state hopes to reduce car miles by 25%. “And there's no other way really to do it other than to put a price on driving.”
“If congestion pricing was implemented, all studies show that it would reduce pollution, it would reduce greenhouse gases. The idea really is: The higher you put up the price, the less people are willing to go and pay for it. So that would really change the commuting patterns.”