Long Island Rail Road bans alcohol on trains this weekend
The LIRR will ban alcohol on weekend trains because of the Belmont Stakes in Elmont on Saturday and the Puerto Rican Day Parade in Manhattan on Sunday. Credit: Craig Ruttle, 2012
Alcohol will be banned on the Long Island Rail Road this weekend because the Belmont Stakes will be held at Elmont’s Belmont Park on Saturday, and the annual Puerto Rican Day parade will take place on Sunday in Manhattan, a spokesman for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority said Tuesday.
“The alcohol ban relates to the coincidence of two large scheduled events,” said Aaron Donovan, an MTA spokesman. This will be the 145th running of the Belmont Stakes, which is the third and final leg of the Triple Crown.
Last year, the MTA followed the same policy, to avoid having weekend prohibitions on some lines and not the others, he said.
“The Long Island Rail Road has a practice of prohibiting alcohol for large-scale parades of all kinds,” Donovan said, citing as examples the St. Patrick’s Day parade and ticker tape parades.
Riders will be allowed to drink alcohol on the Metro-North Railroad over the weekend, the spokesman said, noting that line does not serve the Belmont Stakes.
While alcohol usually is permitted on all trains, no drinking ever is allowed on New York City’s buses and subways, Donovan added.
Sarra Sounds Off, Ep. 15: LI's top basketball players On the latest episode of "Sarra Sounds Off," Newsday's Gregg Sarra and Matt Lindsay take a look top boys and girls basketball players on Long Island.
Sarra Sounds Off, Ep. 15: LI's top basketball players On the latest episode of "Sarra Sounds Off," Newsday's Gregg Sarra and Matt Lindsay take a look top boys and girls basketball players on Long Island.
