MTA hearings on layoffs, subway booth closures in July

New York's transit agency will hold a new round of public hearings to discuss layoffs and subway booth closures.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority's board voted Wednesday to hold the hearings next month.

A state Supreme Court justice in Manhattan ordered the agency to hold new hearings before firing any subway station employees and to reopen dozens of subway booths.

The MTA will also appeal the judge's ruling.

The MTA fired more than 200 subway station employees last month.

It had planned to fire 200 more by the end of this month, citing budget problems.

MTA chairman Jay Walder said further delaying the layoffs was costing $40,000 every day.

He said the appeal of the judge's decision would trigger an automatic stay of the court's order and stop the reopening of booths.

- AP