“Breaking Barriers” – making beaches more inviting + accessible – a new report by Metropolitan Beaches Commission

On Friday morning DCR Commissioner Brian Arrigo joined legislative and community members of the Metropolitan Beaches Commission at Carson Beach in South Boston for the release of “Breaking Barriers,” a report on improving public access to the metropolitan region’s public beaches from Nahant to Nantasket.

The report is based on a series of public hearings and listening sessions focused on overcoming obstacles to beach access for people of color, people with disabilities, and people who do not speak English as their first language.

The report outlines several ways the state could make beaches in the Greater Boston area more inviting and inclusive by adding beach shuttles, wheelchair-friendly boardwalks, and installing multilingual signage. 

According to the report, which is available online at https://www.savetheharbor.org/breaking-barriers-report, the Commission “found that our beaches have increasingly drawn residents who represent the rich diversity of our region. However, more progress is needed before we can say they are truly inclusive.”

The Commission will hold a public hearing in August to hear from DCR on their progress on the recommendations included in the report.