Tappan Zee work started?

[dgolub]

Good lord, they renamed the thing? Ridiculous...

Just as ridiculous as renaming the Triboro.

[Roadsguy]

Do people even use the new names, or do they stick to the old ones?

[cl94]

Do people even use the new names, or do they stick to the old ones?

New names are very rarely used in practice anywhere in the state. I mean, every Hudson River crossing from NYC to Albany has an "official" name that is never used as well. I don't need any hands to count the number of times I have heard someone refer to the "Hamilton Fish Bridge".

[ixnay]

Traffic reporters on WCBS-AM have referred to the "RFK" or "RFK Triboro" ever since Bobby's name went on it.  I imagine they'll use Cuomo's name for the new Tapp.

Between Philadelphia and Camden, what is now the Benjamin Franklin Bridge was called the Delaware River Bridge from its opening in 1926 until its renaming in 1956 to mark Ben's 250th birthday.  I wasn't alive for either the renaming or the opening, and I've always known it with Ben's name, so I don't know how long it took for people to take to the new name.

OTOH I was 18 years old in 1979 when the Penrose Ave. Bridge between PHL Airport and the refinery area was renamed the George C. Platt Bridge.  That name caught on quickly.

ixnay

[dgolub]

Traffic reporters on WCBS-AM have referred to the "RFK" or "RFK Triboro" ever since Bobby's name went on it.  I imagine they'll use Cuomo's name for the new Tapp.

ixnay

With that one, they've been gradually changing the signage to say RFK only.  You'll find only so many signs that say Triboro anymore, and in 5-10 years they'll presumably all be gone.

[bzakharin]

Traffic reporters on WCBS-AM have referred to the "RFK" or "RFK Triboro" ever since Bobby's name went on it.  I imagine they'll use Cuomo's name for the new Tapp.

Between Philadelphia and Camden, what is now the Benjamin Franklin Bridge was called the Delaware River Bridge from its opening in 1926 until its renaming in 1956 to mark Ben's 250th birthday.  I wasn't alive for either the renaming or the opening, and I've always known it with Ben's name, so I don't know how long it took for people to take to the new name.

OTOH I was 18 years old in 1979 when the Penrose Ave. Bridge between PHL Airport and the refinery area was renamed the George C. Platt Bridge.  That name caught on quickly.

ixnay

The Delaware River Bridge is just too vague these days. In fact, it was changed due to the Walt Whitman Bridge being opened around that time. And that name went to the Turnpike Bridge, also constructed around the same time. Of course no one ever uses that name outside the NJTA and PTC for the same reason.

[SidS1045]

they've been gradually changing the signage to say RFK only.  You'll find only so many signs that say Triboro anymore, and in 5-10 years they'll presumably all be gone.

Agreed, but I think it's doubtful that will change New Yorkers' habits.  For as long as I can remember, the street signs on the Manhattan avenue between Fifth and Seventh have always said "Avenue of the Americas," a name so resolutely rejected by New Yorkers that the city finally caved and posted a second street sign saying "6 AV" below the Avenue of the Americas ones.  No doubt "Avenue of the Americas" was confusing tourists and transplants as well, especially if they were to ask a New Yorker for directions.

Of course, if they wanted to, they could keep the old and the new together, as in the officially-named "Ed Koch Queensborough Bridge," although that doesn't tend to change the habits of the real old-timers who still call it the 59th Street Bridge.

[dgolub]

they've been gradually changing the signage to say RFK only.  You'll find only so many signs that say Triboro anymore, and in 5-10 years they'll presumably all be gone.

Agreed, but I think it's doubtful that will change New Yorkers' habits.  For as long as I can remember, the street signs on the Manhattan avenue between Fifth and Seventh have always said "Avenue of the Americas," a name so resolutely rejected by New Yorkers that the city finally caved and posted a second street sign saying "6 AV" below the Avenue of the Americas ones.  No doubt "Avenue of the Americas" was confusing tourists and transplants as well, especially if they were to ask a New Yorker for directions.

Of course, if they wanted to, they could keep the old and the new together, as in the officially-named "Ed Koch Queensborough Bridge," although that doesn't tend to change the habits of the real old-timers who still call it the 59th Street Bridge.

If only they'd give in and include "Triboro" on the signage again!

[mariethefoxy]

Do people even use the new names, or do they stick to the old ones?

Only one I know of that was adopted pretty quick was the Jackie Robinson Parkway.

[Roadgeek Adam]

Do people even use the new names, or do they stick to the old ones?

Only one I know of that was adopted pretty quick was the Jackie Robinson Parkway.

I know a lot of people who still call it the Interboro, including myself.

Of course, the Willowbrook & Richmond parkways were renamed 20 years ago this year. The signs are still up and no one still calls them by their new names.

[ixnay]

Traffic reporters on WCBS-AM have referred to the "RFK" or "RFK Triboro" ever since Bobby's name went on it.  I imagine they'll use Cuomo's name for the new Tapp.

Between Philadelphia and Camden, what is now the Benjamin Franklin Bridge was called the Delaware River Bridge from its opening in 1926 until its renaming in 1956 to mark Ben's 250th birthday.  I wasn't alive for either the renaming or the opening, and I've always known it with Ben's name, so I don't know how long it took for people to take to the new name.

OTOH I was 18 years old in 1979 when the Penrose Ave. Bridge between PHL Airport and the refinery area was renamed the George C. Platt Bridge.  That name caught on quickly.

ixnay

The Delaware River Bridge is just too vague these days. In fact, it was changed due to the Walt Whitman Bridge being opened around that time. And that name went to the Turnpike Bridge, also constructed around the same time. Of course no one ever uses that name outside the NJTA and PTC for the same reason.

Traffic reporters on KYW tend to call the Turnpike Bridge the "PA Turnpike - New Jersey Turnpike Connector Bridge" or a variation thereof.

ixnay

[MikeCL]

Do people even use the new names, or do they stick to the old ones?

I forgot where but one of the signs as far as I know is still up still refers the bridge as the Triborough I wish I could remember where but you sure can't miss it

[longhorn]

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/24/nyregion/tappan-zee-bridge-opening.html

NYtimes still calling it Tappan Zee.

[The Nature Boy]

Renaming the bridge honestly sucks for out of state traffic or people who don't visit the area often. The Tappan Zee is reasonably well known so I can imagine a lot of people being confused when they're driving towards what they think is the Tappan Zee only to see signs for the Cuomo Bridge.

Whenever I drive back up from visiting family from the South, I end up taking the Tappan Zee over the GW and I tell family to do the same. I'll have to make sure that they know that when they see the Mario Cuomo Bridge that it's just the new Tappan Zee.

As an aside, the Tappan Zee was named for the Native Americans who inhabited the area, the Tappan people. It's a shame to see that name go away.

[shadyjay]

The "Tappan Zee Bridge" has become a control point in its own right.  Signage on I-95 in Rye (and two in CT) advertise it on the primary guide signs, and it's on "after-exit" mileage signs on the Thruway. 

Maybe it should be called the "Governor Mario Cuomo Tappan Zee Bridge", advertised on the signs on either end of the span.  It's no different than the present name "Governor Malcolm Wilson Tappan Zee Bridge", and it still puts the Cuomo name on the new bridge.  Or are they really going to change all the advance signage up to 15 miles away to "Cuomo Bridge"?  That'd confuse people, for sure.

[dgolub]

Maybe it should be called the "Governor Mario Cuomo Tappan Zee Bridge", advertised on the signs on either end of the span.  It's no different than the present name "Governor Malcolm Wilson Tappan Zee Bridge", and it still puts the Cuomo name on the new bridge.  Or are they really going to change all the advance signage up to 15 miles away to "Cuomo Bridge"?  That'd confuse people, for sure.

Unfortunately, that's what they've been doing with the RFK Bridge (I-278), formerly the Triboro Bridge.  It's almost ten years since it was renamed and some of the signs still have yet to be replaced, but they have been gradually changing them.  It's ridiculous.

[I-39]

Are they shifting all traffic onto the new WB bridge and closing the existing one?

[davewiecking]

Shifting in stages, yes. WB traffic over the weekend; EB traffic soon. EB bridge opening next year.

[cl94]

WB traffic moves over tonight. For all I know, it may have moved already.

[davewiecking]

Not quite, but soon.

http://www.thruway.ny.gov/travelers/map/text/twytextcameras.cgi?region=NYI87N

[ixnay]

Apparently it opened 6 hours ago...

http://www.thruway.ny.gov/index.shtml

https://twitter.com/NYSThruway

https://twitter.com/NYSThruway/status/901347304334131200/photo/1

ixnay

[Michael]

First Cuomo Signs, now a Cuomo Bridge!  This article says "Eventually, the Thruway Authority will give away parts of the old bridge's deck and its moveable barrier system."  I guess you could get a souvenir if you wanted!

[cl94]

I took a video from my phone while it was mounted on the dashboard today while crossing the new bridge. I'm not a huge video person and I don't have proper in-car recording equipment, so excuse the poor quality.

[Alps]

First Cuomo Signs, now a Cuomo Bridge!  This article says "Eventually, the Thruway Authority will give away parts of the old bridge's deck and its moveable barrier system."  I guess you could get a souvenir if you wanted!

I want one of the truss members that's at least partially not rusted through.

[kalvado]

First Cuomo Signs, now a Cuomo Bridge!  This article says "Eventually, the Thruway Authority will give away parts of the old bridge's deck and its moveable barrier system."  I guess you could get a souvenir if you wanted!

I read about deck panels being eventually available for maintenance of other bridges. Not as backyard decorations...