City of Peekskill Partners with Riverkeeper, MetroNorth to Clean 5.7 Tons of Trash From Travis Cove

The combined efforts of Peekskill’s highway department, Metro North, Riverkeeper and a hard-working group of 75 volunteers from Peekskill and towns nearby resulted in the removal of 5.7 tons of trash plus 46 tires from Travis Cove, readying the site for the construction of a new pedestrian walkway along the shoreline that will connect Peekskill’s Riverfront Green and Charles Point parks and offer public access to that stretch of shoreline for the first time.

The path is part of the city’s multi-million dollar waterfront re-development project that will bring new uses and connectivity to Peekskill’s waterfront for the enjoyment of residents, businesses and visitors.

“We commend all of the volunteers, Riverkeeper, Metro North and Public Works Staff staff for their great work in preparing the area for our riverfront parks development,” said Anthony Ruggiero, Peekskill’s City Manager. “The cleanup was the first step toward public enjoyment of Travis Cove for years to come.”

Thanks to the efforts of Peekskill’s Department of Public Works staff and Zero to Go, a Beacon-based recycling business, the trash haul was separated and 46 percent was salvaged or recycled, according to Dan Shapley, Riverkeeper’s membership and events manager.

“In a word: Wow,” he said. “We want to thank Metro-North Railroad, which made accessing the shoreline safe, Peekskill and its amazing DPW staff, the incomparable Zero to Go, as well as the businesses and organizations that contributed. Most of all we want to thank the volunteers.”

Local businesses got into the game by offering rewards to those who came to clean up.

Peekskill Brewery provided cold beer and a place for volunteers to relax following their toil; Trinity Cruises offered a free Hudson River cruise from historic Peekskill; NYC Water Ski and Wakeboard School a free lesson; Keep Rockland Beautiful contributed materials and Bridgestone offered to recycle the tires at no charge.

Phase one of the waterfront re-development project, Scenic Hudson Park at Peekskill Landing, is set to begin this fall and calls for the construction of an elevated walkway along the City’s legendary Hudson shoreline, a pedestrian bridge, gazebo and trellis, and multi-use trailways for jogging, biking, walking, and other outdoor activities. Amenities, like the installation of utilities and lighting, signage and trash receptors, a drinking fountain, and concrete pads and landscaping, are also included in the plan.