Congestion pricing, Part II

Councilman Bill Rosendahl's proposal for congestion pricing at LAX (cars possibly paying a toll to get into the airport) is gaining some interest. He tells the Argonaut the pricing would be tied to a much discussed people-mover system at the airport:

Rosendahl said the congestion pricing plan, which would be paired with an automated people-mover, could benefit Los Angeles. The plan continues the push to regionalize aviation traffic and fund mass transit projects in the city, the councilman said. "This encourages regionalism and mass transit, and complements several proposed transportation projects, such as the Green Line extension and expanded FlyAway service," Rosendahl said. "Congestion pricing has worked well in other cities. I am eager to learn about its feasibility in Los Angeles."

Comments

[Tony Katz]

Congestion pricing at LAX? Another bad idea by an LA councilmember. The vehicle queuing (caused by motorists paying their toll) that this would create along Century and along Sepulveda and along the 105 freeway would be disasterous. Look at the traffic delays that the security checkpoints at LAX have created along the 105 freeway and the streets that feed into the LAX terminals. Plus motorists would simply not drive into the terminal area, instead they would park their cars at one of the many off-site public and private airport parking lots that provide shuttle service to their airline terminal. So, a toll would not reduce traffic in the area, it would simply create new destination points. MTA needs to find a way to fund the Green Line extension and LAX can fund it's own people mover system.

[Ken Alpern]

This would be a perfect way to help a Green Line Construction Authority pay for a Green Line/LAX connection, as well as a way to help this line be funded up to its previously-approved extension to Marina Del Rey or even the future Expo Line.

[Jean]

I think the toll is a good idea, provided there is a reasonable free alternative (peoplemover?). It could help to separate the inter-terminal traffic from arrival/departure traffic. However if it just concentrates the traffic someplace else, that doesn't solve the problem, it just moves it. We need more rail.

[RB]

Is there a law or city rule that bars LAX or the city of LA to pay for the green line extension to LAX? Why do we have to wait for the MTA to find funding? Would LAX be willing to charge pasengers (and would passengers be willing to pay) an extra couple of dollars to fly in and out of the airport if it went directly to extending the green line? Just a thought.

[jack]

The federal govt has matching grants that require some form of congestion tax but Los angeles has not been able to get federal money because it refuses to include such measures.

[John M.]

It seems as if the MTA should build the Green Line west from the LAX stub-end to the new parking/passenger drop-off/rental car area, AND extend it east to the 5 freeway, then north along the tracks (above the tracks like BART?) to Union Station. We'd have our one-ride to the airport from Union Station without the nasty transfers all along the way. If MTA intends to expand the Green Line, take it to a reasonable destination like downtown Los Angeles, not just a few miles farther east.

LAX should not be more than one transfer (Red Line, Gold Line, Purple Line to Green Line) from Union Station.