Petition Started To Remove Trump Name From West Side Highway Sign

UPPER WEST SIDE, NY — A petition has been started to remove the name Donald J. Trump from the Henry Hudson Parkway beautification sign.

The collection of signatures is the latest step in a five-year saga of calls to remove the president's name from the sign.

The beautification sign sits just before the 79th Street Boat Basin exit.

The petition says that New York City Department of Transportation website's own policy is that "Highways can be adopted by individuals, companies, or organizations (but not political candidates and campaigns)."

It adds that the sign should have been removed in 2015 when Trump announced his run for presidency and should still be removed due to his stated intention to run again in 2024.

However, the Department of Transportation disagrees with this interpretation, according to the West Side Rag, which was the first publication to write about the petition.

"It is paid for by the [Trump] organization, not any personal/political entity," a DOT spokesperson said in an email to the West Side Rag. "The sign is a representation of the organization who has a valid sponsor agreement with the provider that maintains this portion of the highway."

One petition signer addressed the distinction between Trump and the Trump Organization in their reason for supporting the petition.

"It is paid for by the [Trump] organization, not any personal/political entity. Therefore the sign must say 'Trump Organization' or come down entirely."

The Trump name was taken down from various places throughout New York City when he became president in 2016, including from a row of buildings on the Upper West Side known as Trump Towers.

In 2019, Wollman Rink and Lasker Rink in Central Park also removed the president's name from the facilities' signs.

As of Monday morning, the petition had 146 signatures of its 200 goal.