Ed Koch has a bridge named after him, so why not David Dinkins? That’s the question City Councilman Fernando Cabrera will ask Thursday when he introduces a bill to rename the Willis Avenue Bridge after New York’s first and only African-American mayor.
Politicians Want Bridge Named After Mayor Dinkins
Ed Koch has a bridge named after him, so why not David Dinkins? That’s the question City Councilman Fernando Cabrera will ask Thursday when he introduces a bill to rename the Willis Avenue Bridge after New York’s first and only African-American mayor.
“David Dinkins was a political pioneer,” said Cabrera (D-Bronx). “Nobody knows who Willis was. But Dinkins was the mayor who turned the city around.”
The Council renamed the Queensboro Bridge after former Mayor Koch last March despite gripes from some Queens pols opposed to the change.
Dinkins ousted Koch in 1989 after he served three terms. At the end of his first term in 1993, voters replaced Dinkins with Rudy Giuliani.
Cabrera said the Koch renaming “was an impetus” for his bill. The Bronx councilman met Dinkins for the first time recently when he asked for the legendary Harlem pol’s blessing.
“He was honored,”Cabrera said of the potential renaming. “He was happy about it.”
The Willis Avenue Bridge spans the Harlem River from the South Bronx to East Harlem.
It opened in 1901 and 70,000 vehicles cross the toll-free bridge every day.
Better Idea
Dinkins should have a garbage dump named after him instead.
A bridge shouldn-t be named after him
It’s not appropriate that a Mayor who divided the city have a bridge (meant to connect people and places) named after him. Maybe a public lavatory but not a bridge!
dinkins?
anyone remember the song “bridge over troubled waters” (sorry, its by a non frum jew
He should name
The bridge should be named Crown Heights Riots
And
Yankel Rsenbaum hy”d
JJ
whats next? renaming the battery tunnel the lemeric nelson tunnel?
disgusted
He doesn’t deserve honors with the blood he has on his hands. And like #4 said, it should be named the Rosenbaum Bridge if anything.
opinion
“Dinkins turned the city around”
he most certainly did- and put on a crash course with the dump!
no justice no bridge
call it the rosenbaum brigde if you call it the dinkins bridge lets put tolls up and not have workers lol
He turned the city around ...
How could anyone say with a straight face that Dinkins “turned the City around”?! EVERYONE knows that Rudy Giuliani was the mayor that turned the City around. Thank G-d he beat Dinkins; what a disaster it would’ve been if Dinkins had gotten a 2nd term!
Why does Cabrera call Dinkins a “political pioneer”? Because he was the first Black NYC mayor? There were Black elected officials before him; he was no Jackie Robinson of politics! Jackie Robinson was a true pioneer AND an outstanding ballplayer, Dinkins was just a very, very bad mayor in general, and in particular in his mishandling of the CH riots. He is undeserving of any honor!
Fed Up
To Numbers 4 and 9, you are both correct. The city should rename the bridge in honor of Yankel Rosenbaum HY”D. He was probably the most notable victim of the Crown Heights riot. As for turning the city around, yes Dinkins did so, by allowing crime to escalate even further out of control and by handcuffing New York’s finest with his politically correct nonsense. First the Flatbush korean boycott, then the Crown Heights riot, and furthermore defending an illegal alien drug dealer named Kiko Garcia, who was shot by police after he fired upon them first.