* Press release…
Today, Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) President Dorval R. Carter, Jr. announced that he will retire from leadership of the nation’s third-largest public transit agency, effective Friday, January 31, 2025. Carter’s retirement ends a 40-year career in public transportation that has included nearly 10 years as CTA president.
“The City of Chicago is grateful to President Dorval Carter for his decades of service with the Chicago Transit Authority,” said Mayor Brandon Johnson. “His leadership reimagined the movement of our city. His stewardship of the Red Line Extension project is just one of the notable achievements in his historic career.”
* Tribune…
His retirement comes as a debate brews in Springfield about whether to combine the CTA with Metra, Pace and the Regional Transportation Authority, and how to fund transit amid a $771 million budget gap looming when federal COVID-19 relief funding runs out. Some lawmakers have pushed for addressing transit oversight and leadership before tackling the funding cliff, which could hit as soon as next year.
Carter’s departure also followed a pointed endorsement from Mayor Brandon Johnson last week, with the two of them shrugging off the threat of a potential showdown with state leaders over the future of the transit agency during a news conference announcing the final chunk of federal funding for the Red Line extension to 130th Street.
The announcement also doubled as an endorsement of Carter’s job performance, with the mayor sending a blunt message to members of the Illinois General Assembly who were mulling tying a bailout of the CTA’s finances to changes in transit leadership: “Any attempt to hold hostage the people of Chicago for anyone’s political gain, we’re certainly not going to acquiesce to those levels of constraints.”
This post will likely be updated.
But it’s kinda ridic for the mayor to threaten war with the General Assembly over the embattled Carter just a few days ago when he was gonna quit today.
…Adding… Block Club Chicago…
“Today marks a historic and long overdue change at the Chicago Transit Authority,” a spokesperson for advocacy group Commuters Take Action said in a Thursday statement. “Commuters Take Action sees a new hope for Chicago transit. Change will not happen overnight, but we are ready to see a transit agency that delivers frequent and reliable service.
“We also hope the next president works with organizations like ours and engages with the communities they serve, especially by riding the CTA regularly.”
…Adding… One of the legislators working on transit reform…
* Sun-Times…
Ald. Daniel LaSpata (1st), chair of the Council’s Transportation Committee, called Carter’s resignation a “pivot point for the CTA on a lot of levels.”
LaSpata said he was “personally excited for fresh leadership” at the mass transit agency after a decade-long Carter era that “fell short on accessibility and vision,” among other things.
“A lot has been made of the racial politics of this. For my constituents, that was never what it was about. It was about the reliability of service, expansion of service, engagement with bus rapid transit, engagement with the media and social media,” LaSpata said.
“I don’t know why that was so challenging for President Carter. But this is news that will be broadly and positively received by my constituents.”
For all of his strength as a former federal bureaucrat whose contacts helped him deliver $1.9 billion for the Red Line extension, LaSpata said Carter will be best remembered by his transit-dependent constituents as “inaccessible” and for being “unwilling to listen and take seriously concerns people were bringing up.”
…Adding… Sen. Villivalam…
State Senator Ram Villivalam (D-Chicago) released a statement following the announcement of Chicago Transit Authority President Dorval Carter’s retirement:
“I would like to thank President Carter for his years of public service and I wish him the best in his retirement.
I look forward to continuing to work with the City of Chicago, the Chicago Transit Authority and all stakeholders to ensure our region has a safe, reliable and accessible world class public transit system that is accountable to our taxpayers, commuters and all of our residents.”
- New Day - Monday, Jan 13, 25 @ 10:19 am:
It’s about freakin’ time. Geez. Now let’s see who Brandon appoints to replace him. With his stellar appointment history, I’m sure it will be an upgrade.
- Charles Edward Cheese - Monday, Jan 13, 25 @ 10:26 am:
Dorval Carter served adequately in some facets of his role, mostly securing federal funding for large scale projects, while failing miserably at the remaining critical pieces like, well…not letting his transit system fail.
That said, I’m sure we’ll all yearn for Dorvals return once Mayor Johnson rams through a zero experience pastor from his local church.
- harp5339 - Monday, Jan 13, 25 @ 10:27 am:
I have about as much confidence in Brandon Johnson finding a suitable replacement as I do in the Bears hiring a decent head coach.
- George Ryan Reynolds - Monday, Jan 13, 25 @ 10:28 am:
Figured they’d wait and offer up a leadership change as a bargaining chip during negotiations over some kind of mass transit reform/additional funding.
- historic66 - Monday, Jan 13, 25 @ 10:49 am:
===I have about as much confidence in Brandon Johnson finding a suitable replacement as I do in the Bears hiring a decent head coach.===
Maybe CTA can pick from those who didn’t get the Bears job.
- Amalia - Monday, Jan 13, 25 @ 10:57 am:
did the Mayor know Carter was going to retire? I’m not convinced he’s that savvy about what is going on. Now, come on Springfield, combine the agencies. Heck, we already have one private citizen posting transit info on social media in a combined way and see how useful that is? Make it make sense and save money too. think of it with fewer boards to follow….
- low level - Monday, Jan 13, 25 @ 11:01 am:
==did the Mayor know Carter was going to retire? I’m not convinced he’s that savvy about what is going on.==
He acts like Springfield is a foreign country. Ive never seen a more clueless IGA team.
- Gravitas - Monday, Jan 13, 25 @ 11:03 am:
Dorval Carter could have spared transit riders by stepping down much sooner. Complaints about his leadership have been frequent for a long time.
- Terry Salad - Monday, Jan 13, 25 @ 11:04 am:
Mayor Johnson could do a lot to help his approval ratings by appointing someone competent and who actually rides the CTA regularly.
- low level - Monday, Jan 13, 25 @ 11:21 am:
==Mayor Johnson could do a lot to help his approval ratings by appointing someone competent and who actually rides the CTA regularly.==
Correct. That would make the most sense, but knowing the 5th Floor the way we do, he will likely do the exact opposite.
- Regular democrat - Monday, Jan 13, 25 @ 11:26 am:
Only in Chicago under this administration can these events happen. Moving forward who really wants that job in this environment. If an anonymous pastor or social worker or union “organizer” is appointed what changes? The citizens will suffer as usual.
- Levois - Monday, Jan 13, 25 @ 11:27 am:
Well, I don’t have great confidence in the Mayor finding a suitable replacement. And it’s unbelievable that perhaps he gave him glowing reviews and didn’t know he had plans to resign.
- Three Dimensional Checkers - Monday, Jan 13, 25 @ 11:39 am:
Come on, do you expect the Mayor to know if his top cabinet members are going to quit?
- levivotedforjudy - Monday, Jan 13, 25 @ 11:58 am:
As a CTA user, I am elated. Carter may have been good at getting federal funds, but his operations acumen was awful. I also couldn’t believe how he blatantly ignored requests from the City Council to attend hearings. As far as a replacement, the model should be Ron Huberman. But I don’t have much faith in my mayor to do much of anything right.
- I-55 Fanatic - Monday, Jan 13, 25 @ 12:03 pm:
Firing Carter any time in the past year would have been a low-hanging political win for MBJ. Instead, he’s apparently caught looking with a resignation right after backing him up. It’s a perfect microcosm of this admin’s ineptitude.
- uialum - Monday, Jan 13, 25 @ 12:05 pm:
Not sure which scenario would be worse: the Mayor knew Carter was retiring but defended him anyway or the Mayor didn’t know Carter was retiring.
- JoeMaddon - Monday, Jan 13, 25 @ 12:13 pm:
**Mayor Johnson could do a lot to help his approval ratings by appointing someone competent and who actually rides the CTA regularly.**
Meh.
I’d much rather see them hire someone who has real-world experience running a transit agency and success doing so.
Hiring someone who has done that would be much more valuable than someone who rides the Red Line.
- Just Me 2 - Monday, Jan 13, 25 @ 12:26 pm:
I love how everyone believes that the problem’s facing transit are because of one person’s leadership. It isn’t as if Carter’s departure means there is now a bucket of gold the CTA can start using to expand service.
- Rich Miller - Monday, Jan 13, 25 @ 12:29 pm:
===It isn’t as if Carter’s departure means there is now a bucket of gold===
Red herring alert.
Carter was the prime spokesperson for keeping the governance status quo. Carter’s CTA has performed miserably. You gotta get 60-30-1 and legislators and the governor were less likely to agree to full funding with Carter there.
- Ares - Monday, Jan 13, 25 @ 12:43 pm:
Like the CTU, Mr. Carter created issues with leading an agency he rarely (if ever) patronized. I am afraid to take the CTA, due to the risk of encountering deranged riders as occurs in NYC. Fix this problem and one can make headway with Chicago’s other issues.
- Friendly Bob Adams - Monday, Jan 13, 25 @ 12:57 pm:
Carter’s resignation is one small but necessary step toward improving the CTA. Sorry to see that it’s become so unreliable in recent years.
- Three Dimensional Checkers - Monday, Jan 13, 25 @ 1:12 pm:
Carter must have given St. Anthony the literal Clay Davis Season 3 of The Wire speech he was giving the Chicago media a few months ago.
- Ares - Monday, Jan 13, 25 @ 1:17 pm:
MBWA (Management by Walking [or Riding) Around is an important management skill, and (I bet) a key to success at running a transit agency.
- Jerry - Monday, Jan 13, 25 @ 1:50 pm:
Birth was given to the Blue Line over 60 years ago and the segment from Kedzie to Forest Park…well you can walk faster. So its not just Dorval Carter’s fault. Its years of neglect.
What if government were run like a business and we had a business man take over? They’d know what to do. Oh, thats right, we have a businessman in the Guv’nors office already.
Even if the all of transit is combined you will still need someone to lead mass transit, commuter rail, and city / suburban buses individually as each are different. So all of the clamoring for 1 agency may not be in the best way forward. But is sounds good politically.
I’m sure that multi-gazillion dollar company with many products has different leaders of each division or business segment.
- Just Me 2 - Monday, Jan 13, 25 @ 3:07 pm:
Has there ever been a CTA President that the public/riders liked?
- New Day - Monday, Jan 13, 25 @ 3:09 pm:
This is a very odd move. He’s now going to run a safety net hospital??? With his vast experience.
https://www.chicagobusiness.com/health-care/cta-chief-dorval-carter-becoming-ceo-st-anthony-hospital
- Original Rambler - Monday, Jan 13, 25 @ 3:19 pm:
This is comical for all the reasons noted above. Just another example of MBJ cluelessness. I would feel safer on NYC Rapid Transit than Chicago. Fixing that public perception (by actually addressing the problem) is job one.
How about Kam Buckner for the CTA? Full disclosure: he was my mayoral choice.
- Rich Miller - Monday, Jan 13, 25 @ 3:21 pm:
===How about Kam Buckner===
That agency is in dire need of a train and bus person, not a legislator, not another DC funding guy. Nuts and bolts.
- Phineas - Monday, Jan 13, 25 @ 5:26 pm:
The Governor has appointed more CTA board members than the Mayor. (Two Lightfoot holdovers).
We might be in for another board appointment drama. Of course, nobody with experience would take it until funding and governance is solved.