On Thursday, the Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART) launched a new Website, www.bartlabor.com, to keep its riders and the public informed about the ongoing labor negotiations with unions representing more than 2,800 BART employees.

The site will feature regular updates on negotiations, facts and figures about BART's budget and contract with organized labor, blog entries and video content.

"As we work to find a solution to our nearly $250 million deficit over the next four years, we want to keep our riders, employees and the public up-to-date about the need for a modern, fair and flexible contract with our workforce," BART Chief Spokesperson Linton Johnson said. "We encourage people to check the site regularly for updates on the pace of negotiations."

Although the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) has proposed a one-year roll-over of the contract, that would not help reduce BART's deficit. The cost of maintaining current benefits contributes $116 million to the agency's deficit over the next four years.

The unions representing BART employees include ATU; the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees; the BART Police Managers Association; the BART Police Officers Association and the Service Employees International Union.