Triborough Bridge renamed for R.F.K.

“America’s Royal Family” came to a park near the Triborough Bridge, which connects Manhattan, Queens and the Bronx, as it was renamed the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge on Wednesday, November 19.
The renaming ceremony took place in Astoria Park, at the foot of the bridge on the Queens side and was well attended by not only Kennedy family members, but Governor David Paterson, Mayor Michael Bloomberg and other local elected officials.
“I am particularly pleased to have had the opportunity to sign this bill into law, making possible the renaming of the Triborough Bridge as the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge, which is a fitting tribute to the man and his legacy,” said Paterson, who signed the bill into law this past summer.
Robert Kennedy was a campaign manager for John F. Kennedy’s election to the presidency in 1960. He also served as U.S. Attorney General between 1961 and 1964. He represented the State of New York in the U.S. Senate from 1965 until his assassination in 1968. Kennedy also played an important role in the African-American Civil Rights Movement.
“Like the great bridge that stretches above us, [Robert F. Kennedy] tied us all together - people of every color, every class, and every creed. Re-dedicating this bridge in his honor is an appropriate tribute to a man whose extraordinary life still inspires us and I’m glad that his wife Ethel and so many family members are here to witness it,” said Bloomberg.
One area politician, City Councilmember Peter Vallone who represents the area shed some fiscal cold water on the event.
“Robert Kennedy was a great man, but this isn’t the time,” Vallone said. “While one agency that gets money from the state is raising fares and cutting service to the neighborhood at the foot of the bridge, another has somehow found a way to spend millions of dollars on changing the signage of it,” Vallone explained, referring to the recent proposals of the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) to eliminate the W subway line that serves Astoria.
Operated by the MTA, the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge actually consists of three bridges, a viaduct, and 14 miles of approach roads connecting Manhattan, Queens, and the Bronx. The bridge opened in 1936.
The longest span of the bridge, the East River Suspension Bridge to Queens, connects with the Grand Central Parkway and the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway and it also leads to Astoria’s residential areas, restaurants, and shops.
The bridge’s Manhattan branch is the Harlem River Lift Bridge. It links the Harlem River Drive, the FDR Drive and 125th Street, the cultural and commercial center of Harlem.
The Bronx Crossing leads to the neighborhoods of the South Bronx and the Port Morris Industrial Area. It also leads motorists to the north via the Bruckner and Major Deegan expressways.
The bridge’s three branches meet on Randall’s Island, which is mostly parkland that includes Downing Stadium, softball fields, tennis courts and picnic areas.