Long Island residents get used to new beach rules

LONG ISLAND — An orange cone was placed in every other parking space to limit beach capacity by 50 percent, but parking was not a problem at Jones Beach on Sunday; the cool overcast weather kept people away.

The logic at Jones beach is simple: half the cars means half the amount of people on the beach. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo held his daily briefing at Jones Beach and said capacity can increase if people are responsible.

“We start gradually we start slowly we make sure we are all being smart," Cuomo said.

Limiting beach capacity in Long Beach can’t be done with cars since most people live within in walking distance.

“It’s going to be a new experience and there is going to be adjusting," State Senator Todd Kaminsky said.

Beaches here are sectioned off and are only open for now to Long Beach residents. When they fill up based on new social distancing protocols, those looking to enter will be directed to other sections of beach that have not reached capacity.

“If this beach is full, hopefully there is a other beach to the east or west of where we are," Kaminsky said.

Like at state beaches, if everyone complies and there is no spike in the spread of the virus, more people will be allowed on the beaches.

Residents are hopeful beachgoers will do the right thing.

“I think everyone has to own their own stuff be responsible and we can all enjoy the summer, Sally Dolce said.

If all continues to go well, the governor said they will be able to steadily increase capacity, which means getting rid of some of the orange cones.