Over 100K Petition to Change Name of Famous NY Bridge
If you're not happy with the renaming of the replacement for Tappan Zee Bridge then you're not alone. The $4 billion dollar bridge took four years to construct, and the massive project certainly caused a lot delays and headaches.
In 2017, Governor Andrew Cuomo lead a last minute campaign to have the bridge renamed after his father: Mario M. Cuomo. Now some want it changed.
A group called Save Our Tappan Zee was launched in response in 2017 by a Port Chester attorney. On Thursday, their voices were heard when 10 members of the group delivered to Albany a printed list of more than 108,000 names who are demanding the name be changed back.
Think some folks may not like the Cuomos? Perhaps. However, there are many who say the petition isn't about politics. LoHud says that "Tappan" refers to a Native American group that lived nearby, while "Zee" is Dutch for sea. For these people, it's all about history.
Other are looking for a compromise, calling for the names Tappan Zee and Cuomo to be combined.
The official name for the old Tappan Zee was actually the Governor Malcolm Wilson Tappan Zee Bridge. Ironically, it was Mario Cuomo himself who called called for Wilson's name to be included in 1994. Calls for a change back to Tappan Zee certainly face an uphill battle, given the fact it was the current governor who lead the push to name it after his late father.