Financial loses caused by the coronavirus are forcing the Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority to lay off 15 percent of its workforce.
The decision is part of a larger effort by the AAATA, also known as The Ride, to shore up its finances and avoid the need for further reductions in service while it waits for the pandemic to end.
The Ride’s CEO, Matt Carpenter, says they are also suspending all offsite travel and training, and he and the rest of their executive leadership are taking a 10 percent pay cut.
“We are essentially planning for an 18-month period of disruption, and we believe, at this point, barring any dramatic problems, we’re financially OK through the end of 2021.”
Carpenter says the layoffs and other cuts will save The Ride around 4.9 million dollars.
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— Taylor Pinson is a writer/reporter for 89.1 WEMU News. Contact him at 734.487.3363 or email him studio@wemu.org
