Jersey Shore mayor urges beachgoers to show up early to avoid hitting capacity limit

New Jersey is expected to see mostly sunny and warm temperatures this weekend, making it a great day to go to the Jersey Shore.

News 12 Staff

Jul 24, 2020, 10:49 PM

Updated 1,507 days ago

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New Jersey is expected to see mostly sunny and warm temperatures this weekend, making it a great day to go to the Jersey Shore. But the mayor of one town is urging beachgoers to show up early so that they can get on to the beach.
Many New Jersey residents say that they are excited to hit the beach this weekend after being cooped up inside during the pandemic.
“If there was a hurricane, it wouldn’t keep us off the boardwalk,” says Jon Weitz, who is visiting from Chicago.
“It’s summertime. We have our daughter with us, we didn’t want to go to the mall,” says Patrice Wheeler, of Clifton.
But the mayor of Point Pleasant Beach says that town officials are watching how big the crowds are at the beach and boardwalk so that they can monitor capacity and social distancing.
“Now that we’re experiencing this heat wave and more and more people are finding us, we are getting to capacity issues,” says Mayor Paul Kanitra.
Kanitra is urging people to show up early and to call Jenkinson’s Boardwalk ahead of time for beach badge availability.
Martell’s Tiki Bar is also anticipating large crowds.
“Because we have less amount of people allowed to be in here, I would expect a line to maybe get it, unless you get here early,” says bartender Robert Anderson. “But what I’ve seen so far, it’s been worth it.”
Kanitra is also warning visitors to be on their best behavior while coming to the beach and boardwalk.
“If you’re looking to misbehave, maybe consider another place or just understand that you’re gonna pay the repercussions for that,” he says.
The mayor also says that Point Pleasant Beach has had to close certain gates at some beaches to help with crowd control.