A budget that would remove routes and cut half of the agency’s staff was almost unanimously approved by the Memphis Area Transit Board of Commissioners on Tuesday.
MATA intends to discontinue seven routes and lay off over 200 employees. Riders and operators were concerned that their routes might be eliminated on Tuesday.
In an effort to balance its new budget, the transportation authority also acknowledged that it had laid off 17 trolley operators.
Interim CEO Bacarra Mauldin has issued a warning, stating that $85 million would need to be invested for the agency’s present operations. She did point out that MATA was only funded for $67.8 million.
