Congestion Pricing Study Taking Shape in Los Angeles

New York City is the furthest along with a congestion pricing scheme, but San Francisco and Los Angeles are catching up in California.

2 minute read

February 18, 2021, 8:00 AM PST

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Expo Line

JulieAndSteve / Flickr

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.   

  1. 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.
  2. The Downtown L.A. Freeway Corridor concept would apply to the busy freeways leading into and away from Downtown.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.

Planetizen coverage of other U.S. cities exploring congestion pricing.

Wednesday, February 17, 2021 in The Source

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 2, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Map of Haussmann's redesign of Paris in the 1850s through 1870s under Napoleon III.

In Urban Planning, AI Prompting Could be the New Design Thinking

Creativity has long been key to great urban design. What if we see AI as our new creative partner?

June 30, 2025 - Tom Sanchez

Street with parking protected bike lane and parked cars in downtown Portland, Oregon.

Portland Raises Parking Fees to Pay for Street Maintenance

The city is struggling to bridge a massive budget gap at the Bureau of Transportation, which largely depleted its reserves during the Civd-19 pandemic.

July 8 - Willamette Week

Aerial view of Spokane, Washington with river in foreground.

Spokane Mayor Introduces Housing Reforms Package

Mayor Lisa Brown’s proposals include deferring or waiving some development fees to encourage more affordable housing development.

July 8 - The Spokesman-Review

Close-up on black and white "Bike Lane Ends" sign with bike logo.

Houston Mayor Kills Another Bike Lane

The mayor rejected a proposed bike lane in the Montrose district in keeping with his pledge to maintain car lanes.

July 8 - Houston Public Media

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.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.

Associate/Senior Planner

Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development

Senior Planner

Heyer Gruel & Associates PA