New York State Senator Pete Harckham announced today that he has secured a $100,000 state grant for the City of Peekskill, which will use the funding to replace the existing painted crosswalks near the “Civic Hub” around City Hall with stamped concrete crosswalks. The project is meant to primarily improve pedestrian safety.
The crosswalks project is part of Peekskill’s ongoing $10 million Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI), which was announced by New York State in November 2020.
“Ensuring pedestrian safety and creating walkable communities are major objectives of mine,” said Harckham. “Peekskill is in the midst of an exciting renaissance, which is producing more vehicular traffic and pedestrian activity on its city streets. Around City Hall, there are a lot of people crossing the streets throughout the day, and so constructing stamped crosswalks will protect pedestrians by visibly and tactilely accentuating the space on the roadway where motorists need to use caution. I am glad I was able to help support this project with financial resources that will jumpstart the work while alleviating the burden of its costs on local taxpayers.”
Included in the downtown crosswalks project will be work at four separate intersections:
- Four crosswalks at Central Avenue and Union Avenue near the “Civic Hub”
- Three crosswalks at Bank Street and Park Street adjacent to the “Civic Hub”
- One crosswalk at Park Street near the James Street municipal parking garage
- Four crosswalks at Main Street and Nelson Avenue between City Hall and the Neighborhood Center
Along with improving pedestrian safety, the new stamped concrete sidewalks will be more aesthetically pleasing, with an eye-catching, decorative design that is also more noticeable to motorists. Labor and materials costs will be reduced as well by eliminating the necessity of periodic repainting of the crosswalks. In sum, the crosswalks are a big component to the beautification and public safety thrust of the DRI.
The crosswalks project is estimated to cost $132,316, according the City of Peekskill. Harckham recently joined Peekskill officials on a tour of the intersections where the crosswalks would be constructed.
“The City of Peekskill thanks Senator Harckham for his dedication to the safety and well-being of Peekskill pedestrians who walk our great city every day,” said Peekskill Mayor Vivian McKenzie. “Without this assistance, we would not be able to invest in crosswalk upgrades that make it safer and easier to cross our streets. Peekskill businesses thank the Senator for protecting their patrons who visit and shop at Peekskill establishments every day.”
The awarded grant funding was secured within the State and Municipal Facilities Program (SAM), which is among the grant programs administered by the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York (DASNY) to support community and economic development. In the past year, Harckham has delivered more than $5,000,000 of state grant funding to municipalities and nonprofits in Senate District 40.
