Whoopi Goldberg to Gov. Hochul about congestion pricing: 'What is the point?'
NEW YORK (WABC) -- Whoopi Goldberg was running out of time, but determined to get answers from New York Governor Kathy Hochul about congestion pricing during her Wednesday appearance on 'The View.'
"You can't get around now," said Goldberg, who is also a New Yorker. "You can't. You can't get to Broadway in time unless you leave the day before. You only have to get 30-feet out."
The co-host continued during show's commercial break, asking Gov. Hochul why drivers are paying for congestion.
"What is the point? Because New Yorkers didn't mess up the streets of New York. We have bike lanes in places that we're not prepared for," she said. "We have trucks that are too big."
The governor tried to explain that congestion pricing is intended to ease congestion.
"There's many reasons why we're doing this," Hochul answered. "This city is immovable. It is. We're in a crisis where people can walk backwards in heels faster than most trucks can get down the streets, right now. This city is paralyzed."
The plan is expected to take effect in June, slapping tolls on every car and truck driving into Manhattan, south of 60th Street, with very few exceptions.
The MTA has also conducted a series of public hearings concerning the move.
The tolls are intended to raise a billion dollars a year to maintain and upgrade the New York City transit system.
However, Goldberg insisted there must be other ways and also questioned the MTA's competence.
"Why are we in their pockets when all we could do is maybe rearrange how the streets are," she said. "Move some of those bike lanes, and make it more practical for us to be able to get off that? Because we all want to get places."
The plan is still the subject of multiple lawsuits intended to either change, postpone, or stop it.
Unless they're successful, the first tolls will be collected within just three months.
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