MARTA announces layoffs, furloughs

The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) will eliminate 100 positions on Jan. 5, 2004, in an effort to reduce overhead. It will also ask employees to pay for a greater share of insurance premiums. The cost-cutting effort is intended to save MARTA an estimated $6.6 million for fiscal year 2004, which ends June 30, 2004. MARTA officials blamed the fiscal crisis on declining ridership over the past several months and lower-than-expected sales tax revenue. In addition, MARTA is requiring that all non-union employees, with the exception of some police officers, take a two-week, non-paid furlough between Dec. 20, 2003, and June 11, 2004.