We, the undersigned, call on the New York State Legislature and Governor of New York to restore the historic name “Tappan Zee Bridge” to the span currently designated the Mario M. Cuomo Bridge.

For nearly six decades, New Yorkers knew this critical Hudson River crossing by its traditional name: Tappan Zee — a name that honored both the Indigenous Tappan people of the region and the Dutch heritage of early New York settlement (“zee” meaning sea).

The change to “Mario M. Cuomo Bridge” in 2017 bypassed longstanding naming norms and erased a meaningful part of the region’s cultural and linguistic history. The renaming was pushed through during a moment of concentrated political influence and has remained unpopular with residents ever since.

Today, public sentiment has only grown clearer:
New Yorkers want the original name back.

 
Why Restore “Tappan Zee”?

1. To Honor Indigenous Heritage
The Tappan were a Lenape subgroup who lived along the Hudson for centuries. Restoring their name acknowledges the original stewards of this land and preserves a piece of New York’s true history.

2. To Respect Local Identity and Tradition
“Tappan Zee” is not just a label — it’s a beloved regional landmark name carried through generations. It appears in literature, local business names, oral histories, and family memories.

3. To Correct a Politicized Renaming Process
The renaming to “Mario M. Cuomo Bridge” was done without sufficient public consultation and against the clear preference of local residents.
Restoring the historic name is a nonpartisan correction, not a political statement.

4. To Preserve Cultural Continuity
Bridges and place names form part of a community’s shared identity. Changing such a significant name for political reasons sets a poor precedent.

 
What We Are Asking

We respectfully request that the New York State Senate and Assembly introduce and pass legislation restoring the name "Tappan Zee Bridge," and that the Governor sign it into law.

This action would:

• Cost the state virtually nothing
• Reflect the will of the residents who use the bridge daily
• Restore an important Indigenous and regional name
• Move New York closer to a transparent, community-driven approach to public naming
   
  A Name With Meaning Should Not Have Been Lost. Let’s Bring It Back.
  Sign this petition to show your support for restoring the Tappan Zee Bridge name and honoring the region’s true history.