LOS ANGELES -- Drivers dropping off passengers at Los Angeles International Airport may have to pay a toll to enter the arrival and departure loops, as the city studies congestion pricing, it was reported Saturday.

Los Angeles City Councilmembers Wendy Greuel and Bill Rosendahl have asked the city Transportation Department to study whether tolls should be imposed on vehicles that enter the central terminal area, with the money going to fund rapid transit citywide.

Nearly 26 million vehicles spun around the upper and lower levels last year.

The proposal comes as Los Angeles is seeking ways to fund an ambitious slate of transportation projects, including extending its subway and a new light-rail line to Santa Monica.

The local tolls could also be used to extend the Green Line train into the airport and fund additional FlyAway bus service between LAX and outlying areas. Congestion pricing typically uses onboard radio units in cars to let automated toll gates know when a vehicle drives by a toll point without stopping. Computers would raise toll charges as appropriate during heavy congestion to give motorists an incentive to take public transportation.

The Bush administration has told cities across the country that federal transportation dollars are going to be allocated to places that start charging motorists to drive into congested areas, and Rosendahl said LAX is a possible local solution.

"Our traffic requires us to think outside of the box," Rosendahl told the South Bay Daily Breeze. "I will leave no stone unturned in trying to find ways to free our streets, especially Westside streets of traffic gridlock."