New York City is the furthest along with a congestion pricing scheme, but San Francisco and Los Angeles are catching up in California.
According to an article by Steve Hymon, the big-ticket item of the study is an initial examination congestion pricing for the region. Metro is conducting a series of public hearings this month to gather feedbacks on four potential congestion pricing concepts. In each case, Hymon says Metro the term "managing traffic" is used to describe the concept of congestion pricing.
- The Santa Monica Mountains Corridor concept would toll some combination of the freeways and roads that cross the Santa Monica Mountains between Interstate 405 and Interstate 5.
- The Downtown L.A. Freeway Corridor concept would apply to the busy freeways leading into and away from Downtown.
- The Downtown L.A. Cordon would work more like the congestion pricing scheme proposed in Manhattan, tolling cars that entire the geographic area of Downtown Los Angeles as bound by the 110, 10, 101, and 5 freeways. "Additional transportation improvements would be explored for this area as part of the study," according to Hymon.
- The I-10 Corridor concept would apply on the I-10 freeway between Downtown Los Angeles and Santa Monica. "To mitigate potential spillover traffic, the I-10 and parallel arterials will be included in the analysis," similar to the Santa Monica Mountain Corridor concept.
The article provides a through description of how congestion pricing works as well as how Metro would potentially supplement the region's transportation options to provide alternatives to car travel if and when a congestion pricing concept is implemented.
Previous Planetizen coverage of the congestion pricing idea in Los Angeles.
- Congestion Pricing in Los Angeles? (December 2018)
- Transit Agency Chief to Propose Congestion Pricing for Los Angeles (January 2019)
- Report: Modest Congestion Charge Would Produce Dramatic Results in Los Angeles (April 2019)
Planetizen coverage of other U.S. cities exploring congestion pricing.
- Congestion Pricing Gains Traction in Seattle (July 2019)
- Portland Ready to Experiment With New Forms of Road Pricing (October 2019)
- Congestion Pricing Under Discussion in San Francisco (November 2019)
FULL STORY: Traffic Reduction Study hosts virtual meetings to learn more about early concepts
Congestion Pricing Under Discussion in San Francisco
An expanding number of major U.S. cities are exploring the idea of charging drivers to drive into certain heavily trafficked parts of town. San Francisco is the most recent to explore the idea of congestion pricing (also known as cordon pricing).
Congestion Pricing Marks the End of an Era
A New York Times article marks the historic significance of congestion pricing—gone are the days of treating roads like they're free while ignoring their costs.
Environmental Assessment for Manhattan Congestion Pricing Scheduled Until December 2022
An idea approved in 2019 which spent the last two years stuck in Trump and Covid limbo, will only now begin a slow march toward final approval.
Planning for Congestion Relief
The third and final installment of Planetizen's examination of the role of the planning profession in both perpetuating and solving traffic congestion.
Minneapolis Housing Plan a Success—Not for the Reason You Think
Housing advocates praise the city’s move to eliminate single-family zoning by legalizing triplexes on single-family lots, but that isn’t why housing construction is growing.
‘Mega-Landlords’ Threaten Housing Stability for Renters
As institutional investors buy up a larger share of single-family homes, the families renting them are increasingly vulnerable to rent increases and eviction.
Zoning Stands in the Way of Renewable Energy
Renewable energy is cheap as ever, but zoning isn’t keeping up with the market.
Mixed Use Could Lower Neighborhood Crime Rates
New research shows areas with a heavy concentration of commercial offices experience 40 percent higher crime rates than neighborhoods that mix residential and commercial uses.
Denver E-Bike Rebate Program Proves Wildly Popular
The city is temporarily pausing applications after the program ran out of funds less than a month after the city announced it.
City & Borough of Juneau
City & Borough of Juneau
DMR Architects
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Redwood City
City of Rohnert Park
City of Hot Springs
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Hand Drawing Master Plans
This course aims to provide an introduction into Urban Design Sketching focused on how to hand draw master plans using a mix of colored markers.
