New Name for Tappan Zee Bridge? (New York, Tarrytown: home, construction, tax)

[jbgusa]

Over the next several years, the current Tappan Zee Bridge is being replaced, in stages. Construction of the new span is well underway.

It seems that politicians have a knack for naming structures after other politicians, usually elderly or deceased. Examples are:

1. The current Tappan Zee Bridge, officially the Malcolm Wilson Tappan Zee Bridge (for a governor who served about 1 1/4 years of the end of Nelson Rockefeller's term);
2. The 59th Street or Queensboro Bridge, now officially the Edward I. Koch Queensboro Bridge (for a former mayor, named while he was alive);
3. The current Brooklyn Battery Tunnel, officially named the Governor Hugh Carey Brooklyn Battery Tunnel (for a former New York governor);
4. The remnants of the West Side Highway, names the Joseph DiMaggio Parkway (for a former baseball player);
5. The Triborough Bridge, renamed the RFK Triborough Bridge (for the assassinated brother of JFK and former New York senator); and
6. East Side Drive, officially named the FDR Drive; and
7. The Interboro Parkway, officially renamed the Jackie Robinson Parkway (for the former baseball player buried on adjacent cemetery land).

Of those, only the last three have stuck to any extent, and only the last two are in truly common use. Since we know renaming is inevitable. what are your choices. Mine, to name it after the Simon & Garfunkel song "Bridge Over Troubled Waters" has not gone over well.

Any thoughts?

[dpm1]

I really hate public property being named after politicians. So many better choices. How about a deceased medal of honor winner? There is a huge list of better choices than any politician.

[rbohm]

if they are going to name bridges after politicians, then they should use a term like, the "we ********* out of your tax dollars" bridge.

[d4g4m]

Reason for rebuilding the bridge. Bridge pilings are wood, similar to telephone poles and they are rotting. What were they thinking?

[Magnatomicflux]

Originally Posted by dpm1

I really hate public property being named after politicians. So many better choices. How about a deceased medal of honor winner? There is a huge list of better choices than any politician.

So do I. The bridge we're building to Detroit is to be named after Gordie Howe.

[Icy Tea]

The Half Moon Bridge in honor of Henry Hudson's ship that sailed up it. Or if you want, name it after an indigenous native American tribe from the region. There is a Rip Van Winkle bridge already, correct?.
I have driven across the TZB, its impressive.

[metalmancpa]

I didn't know this. I love the Tappan Zee Bridge, and would love them to keep the name. But of course that would never happen. It's my 2nd favorite bridge (Delaware Memorial being my first), as I grew up driving from Boston to FL to visit family and took that bridge countless times.

To be more lighthearted than coming up with a true official name:

Nyack-Tarrytown Connector Bridge
Anything But The George Washington Bridge
The Interstate 287 Bridge
I Can See New York In The Distance Bridge
Bridge Between The Nines

[gunslinger256]

port authority fleecing toll bridge

[RosieSD]

Originally Posted by Icy Tea

The Half Moon Bridge in honor of Henry Hudson's ship that sailed up it. Or if you want, name it after an indigenous native American tribe from the region. There is a Rip Van Winkle bridge already, correct?.
I have driven across the TZB, its impressive.

Actually, the Tappan Zee bridge is already named after an indigenous native America tribe.

From Wikipedia:

"It derives its name from the Tappan Native American sub-tribe of the Delaware/Lenni Lenape, and the Dutch word zee, meaning a sea or a wide expanse of water"

As someone who grew up a few miles from the Tappan Zee, I personally would hate to see the new bridge given a different name. Even though it will be a new bridge, it will always be the "Tappan Zee" to me, as well as a sure sign that I am close to home territory, no matter how far I've roamed.

[HappyRider]

Funny. I was just on it last week. For the first time ever. My usual route is GW when I go to points north. This time somebody suggested to take Tappan Zee to avoid the traffic. Bad idea. There is no easy way to get back on 95. I learned once again that it is better to sit in traffic than take a “shortcut” you are not familiar with.