Rockland assemblyman seeks to restore Tappan Zee name to bridge

Rockland County Assemblyman Mike Lawler has introduced legislation seeking to change the name of the Gov. Mario M. Cuomo Bridge back to its original moniker as the Tappan Zee Bridge.

Gov. Mario M. cuomo Bridge Tappan Zee — The new bridge with remnants of the old bridge in the foreground. File photo

Lawler, a first-term Republican who represents the 97th District, stated on his Facebook page that Tappan Zee Bridge was the “rightful name” for the structure and its restoration was crucial in view of the ongoing scandals involving Gov. Andrew Cuomo, the son of the three-term governor for whom the bridge was named in 2017.

“Especially now, in light of the allegations of sexual harassment and appalling conduct of the governor who bears the same last name, it’s clear that we must restore the bridge’s original, historical name,” Lawler stated.

Before being named after Mario Cuomo, the bridge was officially called the Gov. Malcolm Wilson”“Tappan Zee Bridge. Wilson was Nelson Rockefeller”™s lieutenant governor from January 1959 to December 1973 and served as governor from December 1973 to December 1974 following Rockefeller”™s resignation prior to his term’s expiration.

Tappan Zee, from the Dutch Tappaan Zee, is the name given to the three-mile natural widening of the Hudson River in the 10-mile stretch along the border separating Westchester and Rockland counties.

The original bridge opened in 1955 and was replaced in 2017. A petition effort to revert the name back to Tappan Zee began on Change.org shortly after it was named for Mario Cuomo and now has approximately 159,000 signatures, with a 200,000-name goal.