Pay To Freeway: 3 Congestion Pricing Models Considered To Cut Down On LA Traffic
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — How much would drivers in Southern California pay to avoid traffic? It's a situation Los Angeles County officials are about to contemplate.
Three different models of congestion pricing have been developed and officials plan next month to ask Metro's board of directors to approve a study on the issue.
The first plan is a quadrant model that would charge drivers to enter certain neighborhoods or districts like downtown Los Angeles.
One tourist from Ohio was skeptical about the quadrant model, but admitted the plan had merit.
"Charged, and then have to pay to park also?" Jayara Carpenter asked with a chuckle. "That would cut down on a lot of traffic though, actually."
But Anthony Esquivel thought that idea was not fair to people who have to come to areas like downtown.
"To have to pay to drive around down here, I think that's a little unfair because people come out here to work, eat, sight-see – we shouldn't have to pay extra to be in the streets," he said.
Another model is based on the miles a vehicle has traveled, which would tax drivers based on the miles they drive.
Visitor Jaime Arington said that if that plan was put into practice, she would use public transportation.
"Well, uh, I'll get on the train," she said. "So I guess it would stop a lot of traffic, though."
A third model is the corridor model, which would compel drivers to pay to use major highways and freeways like the 5, 10, or 405.
Money raised from any of these congestion pricing plans could help the county pay for transit projects ahead of the 2028 Olympics.
