Thursday, October 1, 2026
Like many Long Beach residents, Justin Martinich uses the boardwalk regularly, whether it's for a run with his girlfriend or riding his bike from Shore Road to the West End to have dinner with friends. Yet Martinich says that he is constantly looking out for protruding nails and beams that he said can be hazardous to runners, bicyclists and pedestrians, especially during the bustling summer months.
"The boardwalk is the centerpiece of our city, and it's in terrible condition," said Martinich, a Jones Beach lifeguard. "It's clear that the cracks have gotten bigger — I have probably tripped two or three times, and I do remember seeing one elderly gentleman falling. The most frustrating thing for me is being caught off-guard when those boards are loosened."
Recently, some residents have called on the city to address the shoddy state of the 2.2-mile boardwalk, saying that it poses a danger to those who use it. At the July and August City Council meetings, School Board Trustee Roy Lester said that the boardwalk is in bad shape, to say the least.
"It's disgraceful, and it seems to be getting worse every day," Lester told the council. "Anybody who runs has had a fall on the boardwalk. I do think the city is putting itself in a potential liability situation."
City officials said that they are aware of the problems and, since July, have made a concerted effort to repair and replace broken boards on a daily basis. At the Aug. 3 City Council meeting, City Manager Charles Theofan said that the city is also considering the construction of a totally new boardwalk.
"Over the past four or five weeks, the condition of the boardwalk has greatly improved," Theofan said. "Safety on the boardwalk is a top priority for us, and that's why we're making a real concerted effort to whip the boardwalk into shape, and I think people have seen that effort in the past month."
Public Works Commissioner Kevin Mulligan said that some 35,000 pieces of decking have been installed this summer. Still, some residents say that the city needs to be more aggressive in either replacing sections of the boardwalk or rebuilding the entire
structure.
