BP Adams, Councilman Treyger ask city for Brooklyn beach safety guidelines

Many are expected to head to Coney Island this Memorial Day weekend to get fresh air while still social distancing.

News 12 Staff

May 22, 2020, 3:57 PM

Updated 1,622 days ago

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Many are expected to head to Coney Island this Memorial Day weekend to get fresh air while still social distancing.
With that in mind, Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams, Councilmember Mark Treyger and the Coney Island Alliance are calling on the city to give some written safety guidance.
They say about 50,000 people call Coney Island home, and it’s important to remember them when making decisions about beaches, especially during the COVID-19 crisis.
“This is where our residents from NYCHA, small families, small communities, this is where they come. Think about shutting down the entire Central Park, think about shutting down the Hamptons. Think about shutting down all of those entities that affluent New Yorkers go to,” says Adams.
Some of the concerns posed are that there is not enough bathrooms and places to wash your hands. They want to know how many park employees are going to be assigned to maintain and disinfect those bathrooms.
Another big concern is traffic. Coney Island already sees a lot of car traffic during the summer, but now with the MTA telling people to not take the public transit and encouraging people to drive, they worry it’ll be out of control and potentially dangerous to anyone needing emergency services.
The city has already seen plans where different parts of Central Park were closed off once it was too full. They say it is time to also come up with a plan for the summer hotspots in the outer boroughs.
“This is our Central Park, this is our Prospect Park. I am not going to expect anyone telling us that we cannot have family safely come down to have some fresh air during this summer,” says Treyger.
They are also asking for free mask distribution to take place and again reminding people to wear their masks Coney Island.
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