New Yorkers soon will be able to take the RFK on their way to LGA and JFK.
On Nov. 19, the Triborough Bridge will formally be renamed the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge in honor of the late New York senator, who was assassinated 40 years ago while campaigning for the Democratic presidential nomination.
"I really can't imagine a more appropriate way to honor his memory in his state, because he did reach out to so many people and did literally bridge so many divides," Kennedy's daughter, Kerry Kennedy, said at a news conference Thursday at the MTA's Manhattan offices, during which details of the name change were released.
The renaming of the bridge in honor of Kennedy was the brainchild of former New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer. His successor, Gov. David A. Paterson, pushed for the State Legislature to adopt the plan, which it did in August.
Paterson said Thursday he was "honored" to sign the measure into law and fully expects that "the RFK name will quickly catch on with New Yorkers."
The bridge will be the first major public works project named after Kennedy, who grew up in the Bronx and Westchester County, and represented New York in the U.S. Senate from 1965 until he was shot and killed by Sirhan Sirhan in June 1968, just after Kennedy won the California Democratic primary.
Metropolitan Transportation Authority Chief Elliot Sander said yesterday that the renaming was "the real deal" and required eliminating references to the Triborough Bridge on nine large road signs and 40 smaller toll plaza signs, and replacing them with the bridge's new name. The new signs will start going up on Nov. 14.
"This is a fitting honor for a distinguished and truly great American and New Yorker," Sander said.
To help spread the word about the name change, advertisements are being placed on the backs of 6 million MetroCards, and 1,400 advertisements have started to go up in subway cars, along with 3,800 advertisements in buses. The ads, as well as a large banner on the bridge, will feature famous quotes from the Democratic senator.
The project is a partnership with the Robert F. Kennedy Center For Justice & Human Rights, which brought in CBS to underwrite the cost of the ads.
A formal renaming ceremony will be held in Astoria Park in Queens, at the foot of the bridge, on the morning of Nov. 19 - the day before Robert F. Kennedy would have celebrated his 83rd birthday.
Kerry Kennedy said she expects several members of her family to attend. While suggesting that her uncle, ailing Massachusetts Sen. Edward Kennedy, would not be able to attend, she said he is "thrilled" that the bridge is being renamed after his older brother.
Built in 1936, the Triborough Bridge was one of the first major projects spearheaded by New York planner Robert Moses. The bridge, which connects Manhattan, Queens and the Bronx, carried some 62.5 million vehicles last year and currently is undergoing a $1-billion rehabilitation.
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