A new online petition is renewing calls to restore the historic Tappan Zee Bridge name to the Hudson River span now officially known as the Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge.
The petition, launched on November 23, 2025, argues that the original name honored both the Indigenous Tappan people and the region’s Dutch heritage, and that the 2017 renaming after former Governor Mario M. Cuomo ignored local sentiment and cultural history. As of this week, more than 2,000 people have signed the petition, which calls on the New York State Senate and Assembly to pass legislation restoring the Tappan Zee name and asks Governor Kathy Hochul to sign such a bill. It emphasizes that the change would “cost the state virtually nothing” while better reflecting the will of residents who use the crossing daily.
A Long-Running Naming Dispute
The current bridge, a 3.1-mile twin-span cable-stayed structure connecting Rockland and Westchester counties, opened in stages between 2017 and 2018 as a replacement for the aging cantilever Tappan Zee Bridge, which dated to 1955. The nearly $4 billion project is one of the largest transportation undertakings in New York State history. In June 2017, state lawmakers approved, and then-Governor Andrew Cuomo signed, legislation officially designating the new structure the Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge, in honor of his late father, who served three terms as governor from 1983 to 1994.
The decision sparked immediate backlash in the Hudson Valley. Earlier efforts to keep or restore the Tappan Zee name generated petitions that drew tens of thousands of signatures, and subsequent bills in Albany have sought compromises such as a combined name — the “Governor Mario M. Cuomo Tappan Zee Bridge” — but none have become law. Despite the official designation, many local residents, businesses and even some politicians continue to refer to the crossing simply as the Tappan Zee.
What the New Petition Says
The latest petition frames the renaming as a politicized decision made “without sufficient public consultation and against the clear preference of local residents.” It calls restoring the Tappan Zee name a “nonpartisan correction, not a political statement.”
Among its key points:
- Historical and cultural significance – “Tappan Zee” is described as a name that reflects both Indigenous and Dutch heritage and has been embedded in local identity for nearly six decades.
- Community identity – The petition notes that the name appears in local businesses, literature and family histories, and argues that bridges and place names form part of a community’s shared identity.
- Low cost – Supporters say changing the name back would require minimal state spending while aligning official signage with how residents already speak about the bridge.
The petition specifically asks lawmakers to introduce and pass a bill restoring the historic Tappan Zee Bridge name, rather than opting for a hybrid or compromise title.
The petition is available at: https://www.change.org/p/restore-the-historic-tappan-zee-bridge-name Change.org
Next Steps in Albany
The new petition arrives as Albany has already been periodically revisiting the bridge’s name. Recent legislative proposals have included measures to add “Tappan Zee” to the existing name as well as stronger efforts to revert fully to the original moniker.
To take effect, any change would require approval by both chambers of the Legislature and the governor’s signature. For now, the span remains officially the Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge — and informally, for many New Yorkers, still the Tappan Zee.
Sources: Midtown Tribune news , New York State Senate , Change.org
