NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
 
BILL NUMBER: A8914A
SPONSOR: Byrne
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the public authorities law, the environmental conserva-
tion law and the highway law, in relation to naming the Governor Mario
M. Cuomo Tappan Zee Bridge
 
PURPOSE:
This bill would rename or designate the Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge
as the Governor Mario M. Cuomo Tappan Zee Bridge.
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1 - Amends subdivision 2 of section 356 of the public authori-
ties law, as amended by section 6 of part M of chapter 61 of the laws of
2017.
Section 2 - Amends section 13-0103 of the environmental conservation
law, as amended by section 7 of part M of chapter 62 of the laws of
2017.
Section 3 - Amends subdivision 1 of section 13-0307 of the environmental
conservation law, as amended by section 8 of part M of chapter 62 of the
laws of 2017.
Section 4 - Amends section 342-ww of the highway law, as amended by
section 9 of part M of chapter 61 of the laws of 2017.
Section 5 - Amends subdivision 2 of section 349-a of the highway law, as
amended by section 10 of part M of chapter 62 of the laws of 2017.
Section 6 - The commissioner of transportation shall provide for the
installation and maintenance of adequate signing of the state highway
system as designated pursuant to this act. However, to avoid confusion
and to limit any possible disruption of commerce, the commissioner shall
only provide for the removal of signs which reference Governor Malcom
Wilson when referring to the Governor Mario M. Cuomo Tappan Zee Bridge.
Signs which reference such bridge only as "Tappan Zee" or Tappan Zee
Bridge" shall not be replaced to avoid needless cost.
Section 7 - Effective date.
 
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ORIGINAL AND AMENDED VERSION (IF APPLICABLE):
The original version of the bill sought to rename the "The Governor
Mario M. Cuomo Bridge" back to the "The Governor Malcolm Wilson-Tappan
Zee Bridge."
The amended version renames the "Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge" as the
"Governor Mario M. Cuomo Tappan Zee Bridge."
 
JUSTIFICATION:
Local residents surrounding the Tappan Zee Bridge have voiced their
opposition to the renaming of the Tappan Zee Bridge, including a peti-
tion process which includes well over 100,000 signatures. This strong
opposition is due to the fact that Tappan Zee denotes the history of the
area in which the bridge is located. Tappan - is the name of a Native
American sub-tribe of the Delaware/Lenni Lenape and Zee is Dutch for sea
honoring the early Dutch settlers. The bridge should be renamed the
"Governor Mario M. Cuomo Tappan Zee Bridge" to honor the culture and
heritage of this region.
This legislation was amended in an effort to support a legislative
compromise that honors both the heritage and tradition of the Hudson
Valley region, while also maintaining and honoring the legacy of the
late Gov. Mario M. Cuomo, much like Gov. Malcolm Wilson was previously
honored with his name adjoining the name Tappan Zee.
 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
New bill.
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
If enacted prior to the creation of new signage for the bridge, taxpayer
savings would be generated as various signs along connecting roadways
may no longer need to be changed.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
8914--A
IN ASSEMBLY
January 8, 2018
___________
Introduced by M. of A. BYRNE, BRABENEC, ERRIGO, M. L. MILLER, FRIEND,
MURRAY, LALOR, CROUCH, B. MILLER -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A.
PALMESANO -- read once and referred to the Committee on Transportation
-- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended
and recommitted to said committee
AN ACT to amend the public authorities law, the environmental conserva-
tion law and the highway law, in relation to naming the Governor Mario
M. Cuomo Tappan Zee Bridge
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Subdivision 2 of section 356 of the public authorities law,
2 as amended by section 6 of part M of chapter 61 of the laws of 2017, is
3 amended to read as follows:
4 2. The Hudson section. Beginning at the northerly end of the southern
5 Westchester connection at or near Tuckahoe road, thence in a general
6 northerly and westerly direction crossing the Hudson river at a point
7 south of Highland Falls, which crossing shall be known as "The Governor
8 Mario M. Cuomo Tappan Zee Bridge", including a highway connection
9 between "The Governor Mario M. Cuomo Tappan Zee Bridge" and the New
10 England section of the thruway presently known as interstate route two
11 hundred eighty-seven, thence in a general westerly direction to inter-
12 sect with existing route number seventeen or to a connection with that
13 route, including a thruway connection from that portion of the section
14 west of the Hudson river, generally southerly to a point to be deter-
15 mined by the authority on the New York-New Jersey boundary line.
16 § 2. Section 13-0103 of the environmental conservation law, as amended
17 by section 7 of part M of chapter 61 of the laws of 2017, is amended to
18 read as follows:
19 § 13-0103. Marine and coastal district described.
20 The marine and coastal district shall include the waters of the Atlan-
21 tic Ocean within three nautical miles from the coast line and all other
22 tidal waters within the state, including the Hudson River up to the
23 Governor Mario M. Cuomo Tappan Zee bridge.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD13808-02-8
A. 8914--A 2
1 § 3. Subdivision 1 of section 13-0307 of the environmental conserva-
2 tion law, as amended by section 8 of part M of chapter 61 of the laws of
3 2017, is amended to read as follows:
4 1. The department periodically shall examine all shellfish lands with-
5 in the marine district and the Hudson River between the Governor Mario
6 M. Cuomo Tappan Zee bridge and the federal dam at Troy to ascertain the
7 sanitary condition thereof in accordance with regulations promulgated
8 pursuant to section 13-0319 of this title.
9 § 4. Section 342-ww of the highway law, as amended by section 9 of
10 part M of chapter 61 of the laws of 2017, is amended to read as follows:
11 § 342-ww. Portion of the New York state thruway to be designated as
12 the "Jewish War Veterans Memorial Highway". All that portion of the New
13 York state thruway in the county of Rockland constituting interstate
14 route 287 from the New Jersey border to "The Governor Mario M. Cuomo
15 Tappan Zee Bridge" shall be designated and known as the "Jewish War
16 Veterans Memorial Highway".
17 § 5. Subdivision 2 of section 349-a of the highway law, as amended by
18 section 10 of part M of chapter 61 of the laws of 2017, is amended to
19 read as follows:
20 2. The Hudson section. Beginning at the northerly end of the southern
21 Westchester connection at or near Tuckahoe road, thence in a general
22 northerly and westerly direction crossing the Hudson river at a point
23 south of Highland Falls, which crossing shall be known as "The Governor
24 Mario M. Cuomo Tappan Zee Bridge", thence in a general westerly direc-
25 tion to intersect with existing route number seventeen or to a
26 connection with that route, including a thruway connection from that
27 portion of the section west of the Hudson river, generally southerly to
28 a point to be determined by the authority on the New York-New Jersey
29 boundary line.
30 § 6. The commissioner of transportation shall provide for the instal-
31 lation and maintenance of adequate signing of the state highway system
32 as designated pursuant to this act. However, to avoid confusion, need-
33 less cost and to limit any possible disruption of commerce, the commis-
34 sioner shall only provide for the removal of signs which reference
35 Governor Malcom Wilson when referring to the Governor Mario M. Cuomo
36 Tappan Zee Bridge. Signs which reference such bridge only as "Tappan
37 Zee" or "Tappan Zee bridge" shall not be replaced.
38 § 7. This act shall take effect immediately.