Exclusive | Mamdani wants to remove former Mayor Ed Kochs name from iconic NYC bridge but critics say hands off

“How’m I doing?” Don’t ask!Mayor Zohran Mamdani wants to remove the name of his predecessor Ed Koch from the 59th Street Bridge — a stance some critics say is a bridge too far.The democratic socialist mayor, Council Speaker Julie Menin were just a few of the politicians who told an LGBT group that they’d be in favor of canceling Koch from the bridge, also called the Queensboro Bridge, over his alleged mishandling of the 1980s AIDS crisis, The Post has learned.“Yes, I support renaming,” Mamdani said on the campaign trail last year on a questionnaire sent by the Jim Owles Liberal LGBT Democratic Club used in deciding whether or not to endorse a candidate.The club has asked candidates if they supported dropping Koch, whose catchphrase was “How’m I doing?” — and if they would sponsor legislation to strip his name from the span.The City Council and then-Mayor Michael Bloomberg renamed the bridge in Koch’s honor in 2011, two years before his death at age 88.Koch, a World War II veteran and the second Jewish Big Apple mayor, served three terms from 1978 to 1989.Koch even filmed a promotional video by standing at the foot of the Queensboro Bridge and saying, “Welcome to my bridge!”Menin, whose district includes the bridge, told the Jim Owles Club in her questionnaire that she was in favor of renaming the bridge simply “The 59th Street Bridge” but she changed her tune when contacted by The Post on Sunday.“Speaker Menin does not support efforts to rename the Ed Koch Bridge, and would not support any legislation to do so.She was approached in 2025 to add her name as a co-sponsor to such a bill and declined to do so,” a Menin spokesperson said.Sixteen other Council members supported or would strongly consider passing legislation to cancel the Koch Bridge, a review of candidates on the club’s questionnaires revealed.City Comptroller Mark Levine and Public Advocate Jumaane Williams are also on the anti-Koch bandwagon.

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