New beach mobility mats installed at all three town beaches should make the trek to the water a smoother and cooler one. 

The mats were put in place last week, Council on Aging Director Amy DiPietro said, after a poignant conversation she and Parks and Recreation Board member Jim Viera had with a local woman.

The woman said that for her mother, the beach represented her happy place.But this year, her mother faced challenges getting to the water. That particularly upset her daughter, DiPietro said.

“After a winter of being so isolated, she wouldn’t be able to do the things she enjoyed in the summer,’’ DiPietro said.

As luck would have it, DiPietro had recently returned from a beach vacation where she saw that mats had been installed to create a path over the sand and improve access to the water. 

Within weeks of the conversation, the mats were purchased through grant funding and installed at Jones, Round Hill and Apponagansett beaches. They were put in place by Recreation Director Tim Lancaster, Recreation Coordinator Rebecca Amaral, and Council on Aging custodian Bronson Collins.

Each pathway requires about 100 feet of mat and is staked into the sand at a depth of about a foot and a half. 

People using wheelchairs and walkers are not the only individuals who could benefit from the path, she said. Beach-goers pushing baby strollers may also appreciate the smoother trek to the water, she said. The mats can also protect people from the steamy sand on especially hot days, she said.

“This allows access to a lot of ages,’’ DiPietro said.

Adding the mats reflects the town’s determination to be an “age-friendly community,’’ DiPietro said. 

“Living in a coastal community and having a way to enjoy all the activities the town has to offer, it’s nice to have all-inclusive beaches,’’ she added.

The mats will be out all beach season.

This Friday, July 16, the Council on Aging is hosting a day at the beach from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Jones Beach, complete with cookout and exercises. This will be an opportunity for town seniors to use the mats, she said.

“We’re really looking forward to it,’’ she said.