Mass. residents are clamoring for more beach access. The state says it’s listening.
The state’s recreational and environmental agency says it has a new top objective: Expand access to coastal and inland beaches.
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People tussle over scarce access as sea levels and property values rise
Rising demand for space on Massachusetts' beaches is stoking tensions. -
State law and town rules keep most of Mass. shoreline off-limits
The state inventoried public access to beaches in 1990 — and has never tried to do it again.
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On NPR: Coastal towns are making it more difficult for the public to get to the shore
New coastal development and higher temperatures mean more people are vying for a spot along the nation's beaches, just as coastal erosion swallows up precious swatches of sand. -
On NPR: Historic racism creates barriers to beach access in towns across the country
Residents-only policies at many of the nation's town-owned beaches mean low-income people and people of color have less access to the shore. -
GBH News YouTube: State and town rules limit access to Massachusetts shoreline
Massachusetts should be a beach lover’s paradise, but access to the state’s shores is deeply uneven. Entry to most beaches is dependent on personal wealth, your home zip code and a shrinking allotment of “visitor” parking spaces clustered far from the water and a system of parking restrictions aimed at out-of-towners.
