Easier access to the beach

Atlantic Beach gets a Mobi-Mat

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The newly installed Mobi-Mat  at the Genesee Boulevard entrance will make it easier for disabled and elderly citizens of Atlantic Beach to get onto the beach and reach the water.

On Tuesday, State Assemblywoman Melissa Miller (R- Atlantic Beach), Town of Hempstead Councilman Bruce Blakeman and Atlantic Beach Mayor George Pappas announced the installation of the mat, which leads from the walkway to just shy of the high tide line.

The long blue mat begins at the end of the wooden walkway and extends onto the sand. The material stays cool in the sun and allows everyone to navigate the terrain easily. After the news conference, Miller demonstrated the new addition by effortlessly walking her son, Oliver, down to the water in his wheelchair.


“I can’t even begin to describe how thrilled I am to be here today,” Miller said. “My son, Oliver, has disabilities, and while we were not ever inclined to focus on what he can’t do, and instead we celebrate what he can do at times that can be very challenging, especially when accessibility is the obstacle.”

She and the other elected officials stressed the importance of making it easier for all residents to enjoy the water “It’s great for kids who need it, it’s great for the elderly, and also it’s good for men and women who are taking their kids with buggies or strollers, it’ll be much easier for them to get their kids down to the water,” Blakeman said.

Miller said she believes this is the first mat of it’s kind on the barrier island, but there will likely be more in the future. She has cosponsored a bill with Republican Senate Majority Leader John Flanagan that would require these mats at all beaches in New York state as long as there aren’t any obstacles in the way.

“Each and every New Yorker deserves to have the opportunity to enjoy the beautiful beaches our region and state provide regardless of their mobility… I thank Mayor Pappas for taking quick action to provide greater accessibility to Atlantic beaches,” Flanagan said in a prepared news release.

The mat helps the village comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act, and officials are looking to add another mat at a later date. According to Pappas, the mat was $7,000 so the village transferred budget money to the cost. The mat can be moved to any other entrance in Atlantic Beach for any village resident to easily reach the ocean.

“This is what happens when government works together, and we’re proud to say we all came together and we got this accomplished for the good of all the people of Atlantic Beach,” Pappas said, adding his appreciation for the village board’s approval of this expense.