Bradley Beach has reopened its boardwalk that was temporarily closed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Dozens of walkers, runners and bikers were out on the boardwalk Tuesday while the weather was sunny and mild. Wearing masks was encouraged but not mandatory – and many people seemed to be adhering to social distancing guidelines.

“As long as people abide by just wearing a mask, it’s as simple as that. You just have to behave as if you have it and not worry about others,” says Vikram Dongre, who brought his family to the boardwalk from Princeton Junction. His daughter’s birthday wish was to be at the beach.

The mayor of Bradley Beach says that he became concerned with having too many people on the beach on Saturday so he opened the boardwalk to create more space. It creates a solid length walk when combined with the boardwalk in neighboring Ocean Grove.

“No gyms are open, so I come here, run on the sand or run through the street,” says Uson Young, of Neptune.

This decision will likely influence other Jersey Shore towns to open their boardwalks.

Business owners who operate near the boardwalks say that they hope reopening the areas will also help them. If people are out spending time at the boardwalk they may be more inclined to shop at their businesses.

“Weekends are good. During the week it's touch and go, but it’s getting better week by week,” says Elbow Room owner Madelyn Snow.

Snow says that she is considering extending hours beyond 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. because takeout business could take off with more people at the beach. But Snow says that social distancing practices could impact her business for months to come.

“I don’t think that people are going to come out in droves like they used to. I think it’ll take a while for people to not be scared and be around other people,” she says.

Neighboring Belmar officials are expected to meet soon to talk about the upcoming weekend and whether the town will reopen its boardwalk.