Jared Lloyd Tappan Zee Bridge?

It’s no secret that the people of Rockland County are unhappy with the name of the Mario M. Cuomo Bridge. In our last poll, 96 percent of our readership was in favor of renaming the bridge in honor of its predecessor, the Tappan Zee Bridge.

Previous efforts to change the name have never gotten much traction, but in light of the governor’s recent resignation, New York state is facing renewed calls to rename the crossing. As petitions to change the name spread like wildfire, one in particular caught our eye. More than 40,000 people are now suggesting that the bridge be renamed in honor of a local hero who lost his life protecting this community: Jared Lloyd.

The Jared Lloyd Tappan Zee Bridge would honor the firefighter who lost his life evacuating the residents of Evergreen Home for Adults on March 23 during one of the worst fires that Rockland has ever seen. A local hero and exemplar of community spirit, we at the Rockland Times are all in favor of the effort, if and when state government finally agrees to rename the county’s most famous landmark.