Study: Congestion pricing could reduce Westside rush hour traffic

LOS ANGELES, Calif. (FOX 11) - Los Angeles is one of the top five cities for the worst rush hour traffic in the nation.

The results are in for the region's first study on congestion pricing.

The report released Thursday by the Southern California Assn. of Governments suggests charging drivers $4 to enter a busy section of West L.A. and Santa Monica just west of the 405 Freeway and north of the 10 Freeway could reduce rush hour traffic by more than 20-percent.

According to the study, some drivers would reduce the number of trips they took, researchers said, while others would shift their travel to other times.That would result in an increase in miles driven in the early afternoon and after evening rush hour. But overall, trips would be expected to fall by 8%.

The report comes a month after the MTA agreed to look into congestion pricing across L.A. county.