After a two-year trial with dune-crossing mats made out of coconut fiber, it looks like Rehoboth Beach has decided to go back to the standard blue mats on Rehoboth Avenue.

The city installed the all-natural mats across the two dune crossings at the Boardwalk end of Rehoboth Avenue in late August 2024.

During a streets & safety advisory committee meeting June 11, Assistant City Manager Evan Miller said the city hasn’t been too happy with them.

“We wanted to trial them just to see how they worked out,” said Miller. “They tend to break down a little bit. They’re not as sturdy to walk on. They feel a little bit better on your feet, but they’re not as stable.”

The committee is considering taking a look at the program to see if there are any improvements that can be made. Miller made his comments in the context of an overall update on the city’s beach mat program.

The city has 35 dune crossings. The total length of beach mats in Rehoboth Beach is about 3,300 feet, said Miller. 

In 2018, there were five wheelchair-accessible beach mats going over the dune crossings. Right now, there are 31, he said, explaining that two are uncovered because they’re vehicle crossings, one is uncovered at Baltimore Avenue to allow the beach patrol to mobilize in an emergency and an old one at Laurel Street is now closed.

Two of the dune crossings are designated as accessible – a new one at Laurel Street and one at Maryland Avenue – and have mats that extend farther out onto the beach, along the toe of the dune.

Those locations are best for the extended mats because coastal storms, sand migration and high tides will not affect those mats, said Miller. Still, there are times when a high tide will reach the toe of the dune, and city staff will have to physically roll the mats and pin them in place so they don’t float away, he said.

There are things to consider other than Mother Nature. Miller said the grade and slope of the dune have to be taken into account.

“That’s why the Maryland Avenue crossing is so long,” said Miller. “The height differential between the beach itself and the Boardwalk is so much we have to run the mat that long.”

There are also staffing and ongoing maintenance considerations.

The city’s street crew cleans the mats, when needed, and readjusts them because the sand under the mats shifts as people walk on them, said Miller. At the Boardwalk end, sand builds up and creates a mound, while at the toe of the dune, the sand is softer and pushes away, creating a big tripping hazard, he said.

“It’s a lot to maintain these mats. It’s a lot to ensure they continue to be accessible,” said Miller.

The committee didn’t have much discussion about improvements to the program; that’s likely to be on a future agenda. However, members provided some quick feedback on items they’d like the city to consider – primarily better signage and better options for the extended mats.

This is going to be an ongoing discussion, said Commissioner Mark Saunders, who chairs the committee.

After the meeting, Miller said the cocomat dune crossings will remain for the rest of this summer.