Monterey rolls out the first phase of an accessible walkway on Del Monte Beach.

On June 16, 2022, representatives of the Monterey Neighborhood and Community Improvement Program convened to vote on ranking 154 possible projects that had been proposed by their members. (The NCIP program, created in 1985, uses revenue from transient occupancy taxes to fund projects envisioned by residents.)

Just under a year later, the number-one project on the 2022 list was installed next to Wharf 2 on Del Monte Beach: an accessible boardwalk for people in wheelchairs (and as the first week has seen, many stroller users as well).

The polyester mat is one of two acquired by the city for a little over $31,000 from New Jersey-based manufacturer AccessRec. City officials will monitor how this first one holds up to use and beach conditions, and are considering options for installing a second pathway to the north, possibly near Monterey Bay Kayaks, in the coming weeks. Each mat also comes with a T-connector to allow more cross-beach travel, and those will be added as well. “That would allow multiple users to enjoy the beach and increase usability,” says Assistant City Manager Nat Rojanasathira.

The pathways will be used seasonally, when recreation is heaviest at the beach. Winter storm surges could destroy or wash away the material, and the city often builds a sand berm to protect the Rec Trail from surging winter waves; the mats would interfere with that seasonal berm. (The current mat ends above the average high tide line.)

“We’ve had, from time to time, feedback requesting increased accessibility on the beach. This project supports that,” Rojanasathira says.