A few days ago we noted a number of recent complaints we'd received about people falling through the Coney Island boardwalk. Now, activists are pressing the Parks Department to fix a particularly dangerous span of the dilapidated walkway. They say that despite city plans to redo parts of the boardwalk closer to tourist attractions, the area spanning from W. 23rd and W. 27th, which runs closer to nearby housing projects and apartment buildings, is not getting enough attention.
"This is an emergency situation," Todd Dobrin, president of Friends of the Boardwalk, told the Daily News, referencing a number of area residents who had tripped or encountered other damage-related issues on the boardwalk. "The goal is to prevent injuries. Otherwise, how much will they spend on lawsuits?"
The Parks Department has $30 million in funding for boardwalk renovations, according to spokeswoman Vickie Karp, but it is unclear how much will go towards the most problematic four-block strip. And the 23rd-27th St. stretch isn't the only part of the boardwalk in need of serious work. Last weekend, a woman accidentally plunged her leg through a loose plank on the boardwalk at West 17th Street, and had to be treated at a nearby hospital.
