Last March, AC Transit cut its service by 7.8%. Next up is a 7.2% cut starting October 31st. And to wrap up this year of commuting hell, last Wednesday, the board of directors approved of yet another service cut to go into effect in December.
December’s cuts will:
- save the district 11.1 million dollars (theoretically)
- lay off 90 union workers
- eliminate 39 weekend routes, leaving just 17 lines
Not only have these changes been approved, but AC Transit spokesperson Clarence Johnson has said that the board directors will likely start voting on outsourcing services at their next meeting, potentially laying off even more union workers.
AC Transit’s director Chris Peeples’ stance was, “We may have to do it because of the amount of money it saves.” Meanwhile, several people are laying blame for the budget issues on AC Transit itself due to their “years of fiscal irresponsibility.”
It seems that yet another corporation has shown us that the importance of the money will always outweigh the importance of the people.
