TARRYTOWN, N.Y. (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) -- The Mario M. Cuomo Bridge may once again be known officially as the Tappan Zee Bridge now that Republicans have gained the key support of a Democratic lawmaker, who is sponsoring a bill to bring back the centuries-old name for the crossing.
More than 200 years ago, 19th century writer Washington Irving mentioned the Tappan Zee crossing in “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.”
To this day it’s still extremely difficult to find anyone in Tarrytown who calls the bridge by former Gov. Mario Cuomo’s name.
“Mario Cuomo was a good man, and a good governor—nothing against him—but it’s the Tappan Zee,” one woman told WCBS 880, echoing the sentiments of many others in the area, who almost universally refer to the bridge by its original name. “Tappan Zee forever!” she exclaimed.
“It’s the Tap, and it will always be the Tap,” another local said.
The original bridge, which spanned the same part of the Hudson River to connect Tarrytown and Nyack, was named the Tappan Zee in a nod to Native Americans and Dutch settlers; Tappan was a Lenape tribe and Zee was the Dutch word for “sea.”
Critics believe former Gov. Andrew Cuomo ignored centuries of history when he made concessions and struck a backroom deal to rename the new 2018 bridge after his late father, abruptly dropping the Tappan Zee name.
Republican efforts to restore the name have failed for several years, but GOP lawmakers now have a Democrat on board in state Sen. James Skoufis.
The senator is now the main sponsor of a bill to bring the old name back. The legislation’s co-sponsors are all Republicans.
“Former Gov. Mario Cuomo, you know, I think he was good governor, and he served the state well, and he should have some major public work dedicated to that service,” Skoufis said.
The senator said something should bear Mario Cuomo’s name, just not this bridge and its name with colonial roots.
“Let’s find a rightful place for the Mario Cuomo bridge, or tunnel, or highway, or whatever it might be,” the senator said.
Skoufis and the co-sponsors of the bill believe residents weren’t given a chance to have their say in the name change. “That should have been respected, and I believe it wasn’t,” the senator said.
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