Memorial Day Buzzkill: Popular Stretch of Rockaway Beach Closed Indefinitely

New York City hasn't been able to keep the beach from eroding.

1 minute read

May 26, 2018, 1:00 PM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Rockaway Beach Bus

This bus is headed for the beach, but the beach is closed. | el_cigarrito / Shutterstock

J. David Goodman reports from New York City, where controversy has erupted after city officials announced that a popular and transit-accessible section of Rockaway Beach would not open for the season this weekend. "From Beach 91st Street to Beach 102nd Street, the beach would be off limits, and would likely remain so for years."

The decision comes after residents warned that the beach has been eroding, but a November study determined the dunes on the beach to be "wider than at almost any time in the last 100 years." Now city officials are admitting erosion is the problem, calling that section of the beach an "erosion hotspot."

The article includes a detailed recent history of the political and environmental factors that are eroding Rockaway Beach, stretching back to the recovery efforts immediately after Hurricane Sandy.

Friday, May 25, 2018 in The New York Times

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