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Board debates whether IDA should fund weekend ‘Destination Peekskill’ shuttle pilot
Summary
Staff presented a weekend shuttle pilot to connect train, downtown and waterfront with an estimated 17‑week, 14‑hour‑per‑week run and a projected IDA ask of roughly $15,000; board members split over whether the BID, IDA, PFDC or city should pay and no funding motion passed.
John Zamora presented a capped weekend shuttle pilot intended to move visitors between the Peekskill train station, downtown business districts and waterfront stops. The proposed pilot would run Saturdays and Sundays for roughly 14 hours per week over about 17 weeks, use city‑owned vehicles and city drivers, and include signage and QR codes to measure business engagement. Zamora estimated the total investment for the pilot at about $15,311 and described metrics for success such as ridership, coupon/QR scans and business participation.
Zamora said the shuttle would be a limited, measurable pilot that the IDA could fund without long‑term commitment: "This proposal gives the IDA a low‑risk way to test economic impact before making any larger or long term commitment," he said.
Board members disagreed about which entity should assume responsibility and cost. Several members said the Business Improvement District (BID) historically funded the shuttle and that the BID’s budget and statutory funding structure limit its ability to increase support without a change to the district or property owner votes. One board member said the BID has a $100,000 budget that has not changed in decades and questioned why the BID had not sought other revenue streams. Another member argued that the IDA and PFDC have a citywide economic development role and could help fund a shared pilot.
Some members expressed support for a short, lower‑cost test and tighter success metrics; others resisted spending IDA/LDC funds out of a limited operating budget. The chair noted there did not appear to be enough votes to approve a $15,000 allocation at this meeting and suggested staff return with a clearer cost‑share plan. No final motion to fund the shuttle was approved at this meeting.
Zamora and staff said existing and new waterfront attractions and events this season increase the potential benefit of the shuttle, and he said DestinationPeekskill.org would host schedule and tracking data. Staff also described a path for Destination Peakskill to become a nonprofit that could sell sponsorships in the future, a change that could reduce reliance on municipal funding.
Next steps directed by the board included: returning with a clarified budget that narrows dates/hours and cost; exploring cost sharing with the BID, PFDC or city departments; and providing clearer performance metrics that tie shuttle operation to measurable business impacts.
