By Matt Hampton
The service, which typically runs during racing season, is likely to face the axe because of the MTA’s budget issues. All of the branches of the transit authority are being told to make cutbacks in areas where the smallest number of commuters are likely to be affected. According to LIRR spokeswoman Susan McGowan, that edict will likely leave Belmont Park out in the cold.
“We typically serve about 100 customers a day during the regular part of the racing season,” McGowan said.
Traditionally, the train serves those commuters coming from the city, as Long Island residents are forced to take a train into Jamaica and then transfer onto the same eastbound train to be dropped off at Belmont Park. By cutting the service, the LIRR could save itself operating funds estimated to be $112,000 annually.
Service will still be in affect during the Belmont Stakes itself, which takes place this year on Saturday, June 6. McGowan said that ridership is so strong during that period that the transit authority had no choice but to continue to offer the service at least during that one weekend.
“Ridership can jump up to 20,000 to 30,000 people on that one day,” she said.
Despite that one saved weekend, the overall loss of the service, which runs from Wednesday through Sunday four months out of the year, will certainly be felt in Elmont.
Pat Nicolosi, president of the Elmont East End Civic Association, said the LIRR should be looking to keep Belmont service running more often, not less.
“It would be shortsighted on the part of the MTA and even the state, in fact we're trying to get it opened all year 'round,” Nicolosi said. “We've implored them to keep it open.”
Nicolosi said the Elmont community has been working hard to revitalize the area around the racetrack, and the elimination of vital transportation would be a crushing blow.
“It would be a disaster, a disaster for the Belmont, for the revitalization plan, a disaster for the community,” he said. “We're hoping that they sit down and talk and realize what we're trying to do here.”
MTA spokesman Aaron Donovan said the best thing residents can do to fight the service cutbacks is lobby their local legislators to put together a bailout package for the transit giant.
“Anyone who’s concerned about neighborhood revitalization or transit oriented economic development, the best thing that they could do right now is get in touch with their state legislator and help create the case for appropriate levels of government investment,” Donovan said. “No one is in favor of any of the service reductions but it’s the unfortunate reality given the 1.2 billion budget gap the MTA faces.”
