HomeMy Public PortalAbout4.26_BeachAccessSurveyBrewster
Coastal
Beach
Access
Survey
Results
Purpose
of
the
Survey
• In
order
to
get
a
sense
of
what
the
community
thinks
about
beaches
in
Brewster,
with
a
focus
on
challenges
and
opportuni@es
regarding
access
to
beaches
during
the
summer
season
• A
beach
access
survey
was
recommended
by
the
September
2015
amended
ci@zen’s
pe@@on
ar@cle
passed
at
town
mee@ng.
• The
results
of
the
survey
will
be
used
in
developing
the
Brewster
coastal
adapta@on
strategy
as
well
as
other
processes
to
address
beach
access.
Methodology
• The
Town
Administrator
appointed
a
5
member
beach
survey
Work
Group:
– Brewster
Town
Planner,
– 3
full/part-‐@me
residents
– Waquoit
Bay
Na@onal
Estuarine
Research
Reserve
Coastal
Training
Coordinator
• Work
Group
developed
the
survey,
beta-‐tested
with
75+
members
of
community,
revised
draU,
provided
final
draU
of
survey
for
review
by
na@onally-‐recognized
survey
expert.
Methodology
• 6,841
postcards
with
the
link
to
the
on-‐line
survey
were
sent
to
all
of
Brewster’s
resident
and
nonresident
taxpayers;
another
400
postcards
were
distributed
around
town.
The
survey
link
was
emailed
to
139
visitors
to
beach
s@cker
office
last
year,
and
some
visitors
to
Nickerson
campsite,
for
a
total
of
6,980+.
• Postcards
sent
on
January
11th,
survey
closed
on
February
26
Respondents
• ~2,048
responses:
~
29%
response
rate
– Year
Round
Residents
~53%
– Part-‐@me
Residents
~45%
– Visitors
~2%
• Males
~46%,
Females
~54%
• ~87%
respondents
over
50
years
of
age
• Employment:
full
@me:
38%,
re@red:
42%
• Children
in
household:
0
–
62%
2
–
18%
Data
Trends
• High
ra@ng
of
overall
experience:
– Excellent:
48%
Good:
44%
• ~60%
used
the
beaches
daily
or
mul@ple
@mes
per
week
• ~76%
use
both
weekend
and
weekdays
• Wide
range
of
beaches
used
(not
just
the
favorite),
@mes
of
day,
ac@vi@es
pursued
• 90%
of
respondents
at
least
occasionally
drive
to
the
beach,
~76%
usually
drive
• ~82%
frequently
or
occasionally
encountered
lack
of
parking
(52%
frequently,
30%
occasionally)
What do you like most about Brewster's public
coastal beaches?
Data
Trends
• Favorite
Ac@vi@es:
– Walking
88%,
Swimming
74%,
Sunset
watching
69%,
Quiet
@me
and
sunbathing
each
~65%
• Favorite
Beaches:
– Crosby
31%,
Paine’s
Creek
16%,
Breakwater
13%,
Linnell
10%,
Mant’s
9%
• Biggest
Challenges
Encountered:
– Lack
of
parking
52%
frequently,
30%
occasionally
– Overcrowding
17%
frequently,
41%
occasionally
• Biggest
Threats:
– Erosion
67%,
storm
damage
62%,
pollu@on
54%,
rising
sea
levels
34%
HOW
DO
YOU
TYPICALLY
GEET
TO
THE
BEACHES
YOU
VISIT
IN
BREWSTER.
CHECK
ALL
THAT
APPLY
• Walk
• Bike
• Drive
• carpool
If
you
usually
drive
to
the
beach,
how
far
do
you
drive
to
get
there?
• Answered:
1,453
Skipped:
12
What
alterna@ve
travel
op@ons
would
you
be
willing
to
use?
(check
all
that
apply)
• Answered:
1,273
Skipped:
787
If
available,
please
select
the
top
three
beaches
you
would
prefer
to
take
a
shunle
to
Answered:
937
Skipped:
1,123
I
would
be
willing
to
use
a
shunle
service
to
travel
to
the
beach
IF
shunle
travel
@me
was...
(check
all
that
apply).
Which
of
the
following
environmental
factors
do
you
think
currently
impacts
or
could
impact
your
access
to
and
use
of
Brewster's
beaches
in
the
future.
Please
check
all
that
apply.
• POLLUTION
• BEACH
EROSION
• RISING
SEA
LEVELS
• STIRM
DAMAGE
• NOT
SURE
• OTHER