Minority Leader Legislator John Testa (Peekskill/Cortlandt/Yorktown) was joined by his Board of Legislators (BOL) colleagues in passing Bond Acts that authorize up to $2.8 million in funding to rehabilitate critical sections of North and South Division Street and Crompond Road in the City of Peekskill. The vote took place at the regular meeting of the BOL on August 4th and passed by a unanimous 16-0 vote.
One section of the rehab work will cover a distance of approximately 1.38 miles, of South Division Street in the City of Peekskill, from South Street to the Cortlandt/Peekskill Town Line. The other section of road that will be rehabilitated is .31 miles of North Division Street from South Division to Highland Avenue. The projects will include milling, resurfacing, replacement or adjustment of utility castings, concrete curb replacement, installation of handicap ramps, new traffic loops, and new pavement markings. The work is expected to last 9-12 months.
The South Division street section of road supports almost 12,000 vehicles per day and received a Pavement Condition Index (PCI) rating of 55 in 2013 and has continued to deteriorate. The PCI is a rating system based on a 0-100 score. A condition rating of zero indicates that the road requires reconstruction. A score of 100 indicates that the road is new. Based on the PCI rating of 55, this section of roadway requires structural rehabilitation to extend the life of the roadway. The North Division Street section of road supports almost 14,000 vehicles per day and received a PCI rating of 66 in 2013 and has also continued to deteriorate and also requires structural rehabilitation to extend the life of the roadway.
Legislator Testa thanked his BOL colleagues and the County Department of Public Works for their cooperation during the committee review process for this very important project. “This stretch of roadway is critical for both our local residents as they travel to work and school. It is also an important route serving the regional business community and emergency services personnel. The work we are undertaking will completely rehab this road and bring it up to the same condition as the adjoining section in the Town of Cortlandt which New York State rehabbed in 2013.” Legislator Testa noted, “It’s been a long effort in getting this work through the legislative and design process and it is a major project but it is really just one phase of infrastructure work that I’ve been advocating for in Peekskill. Previously, I worked with my colleagues to secure funding for similar road work of 2.14 miles at East and West Main St. in Peekskill from Rte. 9 to Conklin Avenue.”
Like this:
Like Loading...
Related
About John G. Testa
Former District 1 County Legislator, John G. Testa is served five terms at the Westchester County Board of Legislators, spending the last 3 terms as BOL Minority Leader.
John G. Testa is a lifelong resident of Peekskill who first entered elected public service as a member of the Peekskill Common Council in 1998 and then served three terms as Mayor. He previously served on the Conservation and Parks Advisory Board and Zoning Board of Appeals. John became an elected official eager to improve the City in which his family has lived for more than a century and quickly earned a reputation as a strong, independent, nonpartisan voice for fiscal responsibility.
John received a BS degree in Technology from SUNY Oswego, where his academic achievements gained him induction into Epsilon Pi Tau, the International Honorary Fraternity of Technology. He earned his MS degree in Technology from the City College of New York. He began his teaching career in 1980 at Peekskill High School, his alma mater, as an instructor in Technology and Social Studies, retiring in 2013 after 33 years teaching.
John has been a leader in support for the Arts Community in Westchester. He presided over the construction of the Peekskill Art Lofts, the establishment of the Hudson Valley Center for Contemporary Art, and the complete restoration of the Paramount Center for the Arts, originally a 1930’s movie house and helped bring critical funding to many Westchester programs. Legislator Testa received the “Advancing the Arts in Westchester Award” by ArtsWestchester.
John has a been a leader on environmental issues for two decades and has a long record of initiatives he has supported and spearheaded. His active involvement in developing and promoting environmentally friendly policies began as mayor and continued throughout his time as Westchester County Legislator. His efforts consistently earned John the endorsement of the NY League of Conservation Voters.
John’s most recognizable accomplishment has been his promotion and preservation of local history and historic landmarks, bringing an unprecedented focus on the region’s rich history, and its legacy of historic Victorian architecture. His roots in historical preservation stem from his experience as a Revolutionary War re-enactor and member of The Brigade of the American Revolution for 50 years.
John was instrumental in securing the preservation of the Lincoln Depot, now the Lincoln Depot Museum, where he now serves as President. The museum was recognized in 2015 as one of The Best Museums in Westchester. He also secured the preservation of historic Fort Hill as parkland, a 40-acre parcel that was originally a Revolutionary War encampment site. Under his leadership, the United States Dept. of the Interior declared Peekskill a “Preserve America Community.”
John was able to establish a record number of National Register designations of local structures, including the first Downtown and Neighborhood Historic Districts and supported the preservation of the historic Miller House in North White Plains. In 2017 John was named a “Champion of History” by the Lincoln Society in Peekskill.
John and his wife of 37 years, Nancy, live in Peekskill and have two adult children, John, Jr. (fiancé Courtney Kelly) and Katy (husband Mike Mearon). John and Nancy recently welcomed the arrival of their first grandchild, Lacey Mae, in 2019.
Minority Leader Legislator John Testa (Peekskill/Cortlandt/Yorktown) was joined by his Board of Legislators (BOL) colleagues in passing Bond Acts that authorize up to $2.8 million in funding to rehabilitate critical sections of North and South Division Street and Crompond Road in the City of Peekskill. The vote took place at the regular meeting of the BOL on August 4th and passed by a unanimous 16-0 vote.
On Topic with John G. Testa 