Sacramento Regional Transit is prepared today to lay off up to 300 employees. The lay offs are a part of the organizations effort to reduce a $36 million budget deficit. Regional Transit has already cut many routes and increased rider fares. Administrative staff will be the first to be laid off. Driver, mechanics and other staff will also receive lay off notices in June. A third phase of lay offs may happen later in the summer. The last time Sacramento Regional Transit cut jobs was in the 1980s.

Later in February Regional Transit will release a budget update and propose cuts in bus and rail service. A public meeting to discuss these changes will be held on March 8.