Less than two years after former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo resigned from office, might the bridge he pushed to get named after his father be on the way out as well?
There is a new effort underway to restore the Tappan Zee name to the renamed Mario M. Cuomo Bridge, which connects Rockland and Westchester County. What's more: It's a Democrat leading the legislative charge to restore the old name.
It's well-known that many New Yorkers, especially those who regularly use the span over the Hudson River, have never really fully embraced the Cuomo moniker for the superstructure. They want the name changed back to what the old bridge was called for more than 60 years — and their wish could be green-lighted in the current legislative session in Albany.
Democratic State Senator James Skoufis is now the main sponsor of a bill to change the name of the bridge back to the Tappan Zee. The original structure was finished in 1955, with the two words harkening back to the area's pre-colonial days: Tappan, after the Native American tribe, and Zee, the Dutch word for sea.
There has been controversy about the change from Tappan Zee for this new span ever since 2017, when then-Governor Cuomo worked to have legislators agree to name the bridge in honor of his father.
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The last part of the original bridge was dismantled in 2019, the year after the current $4 billion dollar structure opened to traffic. Previous GOP led bills to revert back to Tappan Zee have stalled in the legislature, but Sen. Skoufis believes he can help clear any political roadblocks.
"This is strictly about righting the wrong of this name change, which everyone in the Hudson Valley wants to see happen. it's nothing personal," said Skoufis. "This has nothing to do with any animosity or slight towards Mario Cuomo. It just simply has to do with returning the bridge to its rightful name.
If the law passes, it would go into effect immediately. The New York State Thruway Authority said it is a matter of discussion between the current governor, Kathy Hochul, and the Legislature.
A spokesperson for Andrew Cuomo did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
