The New York City Council has approved 26 new street and public place co-namings across all five boroughs to commemorate the victims and heroes of the September 11th attacks, as the city prepares to mark the 25th anniversary. The council also passed a resolution urging the state to adopt a 9/11 curriculum in schools.
The new designations include names such as "Never Forget Way" in Howard Beach, Queens, "East Side 9/11 Remembrance Way" on the Upper East Side, and "9/11 Beacon Memorial Way" in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. Several co-namings recognize specific memorials, survivor organizations, and the companies and FDNY units that lost members.
One co-naming, "Tunnel to Towers 5K Run & Walk 9/11 Memorial Way" in Red Hook, Brooklyn, honors FDNY firefighter Stephen Siller, who died while attempting to rescue victims at the World Trade Center. Brooklyn will receive the largest number of new street namings.
The proposed "Fresh Kills 9/11 Recovery Heroes Way" in Staten Island refers to the landfill where debris from Ground Zero was processed. The word "Kills" in "Fresh Kills" is derived from the Middle Dutch word for a riverbed or water channel, not as a direct reference to the recovery work.
Mayor Julie Menin's office has launched a webpage featuring an interactive map and contextual information for each honorary street name. The co-namings were passed during a council meeting on Thursday.
The resolution calling for statewide 9/11 education emphasizes the importance of teaching young people about the unity demonstrated in the city following the attacks. The new street co-namings are intended to serve as constant reminders of the events of September 11, 2001, and their enduring impact on the city and its residents.