Just in time for beach season!
Councilman Chaim Deutsch (D–Brighton Beach) picked up a hammer to help the Parks Department replace some old, hazardous wooden planks along the historic Riegelmann Boardwalk on June 9. The section of the wooden pathway stretching from Coney Island Avenue to Brighton Sixth Street had several uneven planks and was an accident waiting to happen — but now its visitors won’t miss a step, said the pol, who was still wearing his dress shirt and tie.
“It’s been in horrible condition, and I put a lot of pressure on the Parks Department, and I’m really happy that they came out to this part of the Boardwalk to do these much-needed renovations,” said Deutsch. “This part of the boardwalk is used by a lot of seniors, and we want people to come out to the boardwalk and enjoy — not leave on stretchers. And today it was literally a step in the right direction.”
The seaside pathway that extends from Brighton Beach to Sea Gate opened in 1923 and is made up of about 1.3 million wooden boards and 14 million screws, so the Parks Department often does routine maintenance work to tighten up some of the loose ends and ensure it’s safe for walkers, said a spokeswoman for the agency.
And many visitors had been worried about the trip-prone planks, so it was good to start fixing some of them ahead of the busy beach season, said the director of the neighborhood’s business improvement district.
“I believe safety is very, very important, and I commend Councilman Deutsch who was able to get Parks to start this necessary work,” said Yelena Makhnin. “Many people are complaining, and we want people to come and especially during the summer season, that’s one of the biggest attractions. We want people to enjoy their trip to Brighton and not be worried about broken arms.”
