The Riegelmann / Brighton Beach / Coney Island boardwalk has arguably been getting worse over the last couple of years and, as more grass grows in between the wood, more sand gets in the walkway, and more boards stick out in the path, the boardwalk has also become increasingly unsafe. I've personally had friends get into accidents there (rather trip and fall due to the sand, which is something that also happened to me as I was biking, or injure their feet and fall on the nails and boards sticking out in the pathway), and there are many other people impacted, including residents in the area who faced similar discontent with the boardwalk's current state, as well as several lawsuits and injury reports against the Parks Department (12 documented injury reports between 2017-21, though the number of injuries could be way more). The boardwalk's condition also isn't well regarded by people on bikes and scooters, who commute on the path everyday, as well as seniors and elderly, kids, disabled people, and tourists, who are likely to fall and get hurt in the boardwalk.

 In contrast, if we do push to get the boardwalk fixed up, it would mean a much safer, more beautiful and practical boardwalk, in which the elderly, young, disabled, etc, can walk freely knowing there won't be boards and nails to accidentally step on, as well as making a good tourist hotspot and a place for good selfies, photos, and lovely views.  Additionally, the boardwalk can become a better place for exercise and transportation, as biking and scooting can become more safe, as well as jogging, marathon running, and simply walking; because of this, maybe people can get where they need to faster using the new and reliable boardwalk. 

 Fortunately, efforts already began to fix the boardwalk, and you can even sometimes see parts of it getting repaired. However, I feel that this task should be accelerated, since hundreds of people use the boardwalk everyday, and fixing a small area at a time simply isn't enough sometimes. Since the 2025 mayoral election is coming up, I also feel the need to emphasize to the future mayor how important this boardwalk is, and hopefully have them work on it in their term. I hope the future will see the boardwalk become better and more safe for people to use for free and as a public benefit. 

PS: For maximum impact make sure to vote for these petitions too:

1. https://chng.it/PjmjXHdr8s

2. https://chng.it/2Shzt4r4kQ