On Demand
RFK Bridge
Monday, November 17, 2008
Kerry Kennedy, founder of the RFK Center for Justice and Human Rights and author of Being Catholic Now, on the renaming of the Triborough Bridge for her father.
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As much as I liked RFK and don't really mind the naming of the bridge but I will always call it the Triborough Bridge until I die. Call me old fashoned. lol.
I think we should rename the Williamsburg Bridge after author and raconteur (and former resident of the Burg) Henry Miller.
No budgets for new signs! In our current economic crisis, with promised cuts in essential items like education, I think we can forgo expensive & discretionary renaming projects for the foreseeable future.
But seriously, William is right.
Rename every jail and prison after Dick Cheney.
Rename the Fresh Kills landfill after President Bush. Both of them, because they are huges piles of waste.
No disrespect to the memory of RFK, but I can't imagine the new name will catch on. Triborough is a perfectly good name that describes exactly what the bridge does.
I predict this new moniker will go the way of the Joe DiMaggio Highway - remember when, about 10 years ago, they renamed the West Side Highway to honor Joltin' Joe? Nobody, but nobody, ever actually calls it that.
does anyone use Avenue of the Americas when referring to Sixth Avenue, except when used as a mailing address?
let's rename the 2nd ave subway after George W Bush, since the hole in the ground is as large as the one in his head. also, the extension of the 7 line to the west side should be named after him, since it will never be completed, and his presidency accomplished nothing.
An incredible waste of money in hardening times. Things like this creep up when American Royalty and the powers that be foresee a threat that their place in history will be supplanted by events in the offing. Would there be such a rush to rename if the Kennedys were not panicked about being eclipsed by Obama? They fear that, instead of the RFK Bridge, it will become the Obama Byway. They would never be able to oppose it, and would even have to be seen at the ribbon cutting, with fake smiles on their faces - "rats, we should have grabbed this one when we had the chance!"
The city's cost for new signs will be negligible. It's the total cost to businesses, materials and labor, that will be large.
As for what other landmarks to name, the similarity between "Queensboro Plaza," "Queens Plaza" and "Queensbridge" is confusing to visitors and to passengers trying to grasp subway announcements. How about renaming one of them after Ed Koch, who (rightfully) suggested putting guard dogs in the train yards to curb graffiti vandals, and (wrongfully) began the process of driving the Middle Class out of Manhattan.
RFK was a great man but seriously...are we or are we not in a fiscal crisis? 4 million dollars for this????????????
I agree with some of the comments that if there is a cost to change the bridge it could be better spent.
That being said, why not rename the 59th Street Bridge the Simon and Garfunkle Bridge. They both came from Queens, had a song named after the bridge and you could consider the water below to be troubled. Da da da da da feeling groovy.
Wow, those "Bush is an Idiot" jokes never get old.
Thanks for adding to the conversation guys!!
I would re-name the PELHAM BAY PARK after that forgotten American patriot, founding father, Revolutionary Soldier, revolutionary, and NYS resident, TOM PAINE.
Paine has been all but forgotten, and neglected in our national monuments. Paine was the Revolutionary spirit of the Revolution.
I think it is GREAT to re-name the TRI-BORO afte Bobby!
It's a shame when useful, i.e. descriptive, names of bridges or whatever are ditched to honor a politician's memory. I emailed my representatives about my concerns when this was proposed months ago but to no avail. The estimated $4 million cost could hardly come at a worse time for New York State. Can't believe lawmakers are wasting time on this kind of thing while the state economy tanks.
Haha, Those Catholic & Evangelical numbers are a fools errand. McCain won the Catholic vote of people who actually attend Mass by over 74%. I think you will find the same with the Evangelical vote. So call yourself anything you like, but Catholic doesn't mean you went to church one time.
Why don't the Kennedy's pay for it themselves.... They certainly can afford it......
We have to name something in Greenwich Village after the late great auhtor of 'The Death and Life Of Great American Cities Jane Jacobs. If it weren't for Mrs. Jacobs and the people of the Village in the 1960's who fought Robert Moses' preposterous plan to build the Lower Manhattan Expressway, downtown Manhattan would have been destroyed. It is the only idea Moses had that didn't come into fruition and Jacobs is to thank for that. As far as I know there is nothing named after Jacobs in the city and there aught to be. She is a downtown hero.
All over America, too many landmarks get named after white Christain men. Enough.
white Christian men
Why rename the Triboro in honor of a politicina with almost no connections with New York who moved here only becasuse there was an easy seat available and who spent most of his time as NY senator running for President? This is political correctness and sentimentality run amok. RFK's move to NY was a cynical political ploy of no benefit to NY and led the way for subsequent carpetbaggers like James Buckley and Hillary Clinton
Why not rename The High Bridge after NYC Consolidator and father of Central Park (as well has many other NYC institutions)Andrew Haswell Green. Right now his only monument is a lonely bench in Central Park.
Take the RFK to JFK? The Kennedy brand/fetish appears safe. But how much are they paying us for all this publicity? Sell bridge naming rights -- a valuable commodity -- to the highest bidder. We need the money; the Kennedys are sickeningly overexposed for free.
See should at least remit profts from sales of her new book in payment for this.
Yeah, who needs all those white Christian men and their antiquated idea of liberty anymore!
Liberty is one thing. But yes, some white Christian male notions are indeed antiquated, at least in America: slavery, racism, segregation, sexism, etc etc.
Name the bridge Sojourner Truth. That would be news.
Liberty is one thng. But yes, some white Christian male notions are indeed antiquated in America. Tnank goodness.
Name the bridge Sojourner Truth. Now that would be worth the millions.
The egomaniacal male Kennedys and their cheerleading female clan members are old news -- and altogether overindulged.
you should name the brooklyn battry tunnel after my grandfather J T Sharkey the acting Mayor not after a carpitbager like rfk, you know teddy will die soon the hole town of boston will be name after him.
The Cross-Bronx for Rudy Giuliani.
I started a movement in September, "Fort Tryon Park: A Patriot's Name?," (http://www.patriotsname.org) to rename Fort Tryon Park after someone or something that better represents what Washington Heights stands for and perhaps to incorporate its history in a better way.
William Tryon, the last royal governor of New York and a British general, was condemned by all sides during the Revolution for his harsh policies, which even by 18th century standards were widely frowned upon.
Instead of focusing on a new name, the first part of the campaign is designed to get people to understand who Tryon was and what is actions were during the Revolution.
Fort Tryon Park is one of the city's greatest parks; and the community has committed much effort to improve it over the past decade. It is my hope that, as people begin to learn about Tryon, the community will come together and start thinking about renaming the park.
This is absolute insanity and should be stopped. As many have already pointed out, RFKB will never catch on -- Triborough is descriptive of its location and function.
But much more importantly, the ensuing confusion will likely cause real traffic INJURIES and DEATHS as drivers slow/veer/exit late trying to find the damn TRIBORO!
I haven't heard anybody address the safety issue.
--------> Joe
If the Kennedys want so badly to be remembered then let them pay for the signs out of their own fortune. And wait, where did that fortune come from again?
I would like to re-name the White House to the People House, thus representing all of the people. I am white but feel that this is only right. Also, why not re-name the Pentagon to the Peace All Gone. I think this sums up what really goes on there.
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