Wednesday, February 17, 2010
CLEVELAND (AP) — Cleveland’s public transit agency plans to lay off 219 employees in April as it cuts bus service by 12 percent to trim expenses.
The cuts would amount to nearly 9 percent of the work force at the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority.
Last year the agency eliminated 12 circulator bus routes, raised fares, froze salaries and laid off 57 drivers.
Its 2010 operating budget, approved by the transit board Tuesday, is $226 million, about $12 million less than last year. Ridership dropped 14 percent last year, mainly due to job losses in the Cleveland area.