When the nepotistic naming scandal had come to an end, the longstanding regional identity embodied in “Tappan Zee,” both Indigenous and Dutch, was brushed aside. But this history endures: It’s still the Tappan Zee Bridge. It is no more the "Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge” than it is the “Gulf of America.” Mario Cuomo is not our father, but the Tappan Zee is our bridge.
The new bridge is smooth. It doesn’t sway or rattle. It has safer lanes and bigger shoulders. It’s improved in everything but name. In fact, most locals would tell you: “It’s still the Tappan Zee bridge.”