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* From Mayor Brandon Johnson’s interview with the Chicago Tribune…
Q: Have you vetted or looked at potential replacements for CTA President Dorval Carter?
A: Well, as you know, discussing personnel issues, I actually find that to be irresponsible, and I’ve said that repeatedly. And so, what I’m committed to doing right now is making sure that our ridership continues to go up, which it has. We have hired more people, which we’ve done that, I’ve made a commitment to doing that. Our better streets for buses, it’s the first initiative of its kind to build a better street signal, sidewalk infrastructure. These are all investments that I have put forward in order to build a CTA that we can be proud of. And again, as far as personnel matters, I don’t discuss those publicly.
Q: Why?
A: Because it’s not responsible. Should your employer discuss individuals’ employment status out loud about who they’re going to fire and keep?
Q: In fairness though, these are also employees, not just of yours, but of the city, right? The CTA president also serves Chicagoans and they have a lot of questions about him and all of the appointments that you make.
A: Having questions about how we build a transportation system that ultimately meets the needs and demands of the people of Chicago, those questions are welcome. Determining who I get to fire and hire, I find that to be irresponsible and I won’t discuss personnel matters publicly.
That interview undoubted set off the city council.
* Ald. Andre Vasquez lays out the stakes…
With federal stimulus funds drying up and a combined $730 million fiscal cliff looming, the Illinois General Assembly is considering a proposal to consolidate the Chicago area’s four mass transit agencies — the RTA, CTA, Metra and Pace — into a single super-agency with beefed-up powers.
“It’s a bit of an inflection point where we need to figure out what we’re going to do,” Vasquez said.
“When you’re asking for funds from the state or federal government, folks there to issue the funds are going to wonder what the leadership looks like to have the confidence to invest that money. If we’re not bouncing back the way other cities are, it might be harder to get those funds.”
* So…
Alderpeople will introduce a resolution next week demanding the resignation or firing of CTA President Dorval Carter, adding to the mounting challenges facing the veteran transit leader.
The largely symbolic measure highlights more than a dozen reasons why the CTA is in need of change and follows Gov. JB Pritzker’s comments that the agency was due for an “evolution” of leadership.
Ald. Andre Vasquez (40th), chief sponsor of the resolution, said it is effectively a “vote of no confidence” and is urging Mayor Brandon Johnson to fire Carter if he doesn’t resign. […]
Alderpeople who have signed on in support of the resolution include Alds. Daniel La Spata (1st), Peter Chico (10th), Marty Quinn (13th), Raymond Lopez (15th), Derrick Curtis (18th), Byron Sigcho-Lopez (25th), Jessie Fuentes (26th), Ruth Cruz (30th), Felix Cardona (31st), Scott Waguespack (32nd), Rossana Rodriguez-Sanchez (33), Bill Conway (34), Carlos Ramirez-Rosa (35th), Andre Vasquez (40th), Brendan Reilly (42nd), James Gardiner (45th), Matt Martin (47th), Leni Manaa-Hoppenworth (48th) and Maria Hadden (49th).
Whew.
* Ald. Brian Hopkins does make a good point, however…
“The agency is in a tailspin. He doesn’t seem to recognize it right now. … If he shows up tomorrow with an acknowledgement sweeping changes are needed, a real plan to do it, let’s get to work,” Hopkins said. “But this is not a problem solved by just firing Carter. We have to be careful as elected officials to scapegoat, just to say we did something.”
Rebuilding the CTA is more than about just one person, even the top person. And finding someone who is qualified to do that job isn’t just a snap of the fingers kinda thing. If this was so easy, the system would already be fixed.
But, yeah, Carter has come to symbolize all that’s wrong with the CTA. And he doesn’t appear to even know it.
posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, May 14, 24 @ 1:57 am
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Rich, you’re up early!
The comment I’ll make on this is…you can’t replace someone with no one. And there’s not exactly a long list of public transportation operations career professionals in the United States. During Dorval Carter tomorrow without a replacement process in motion seems like a bad idea.
Comment by LastModDemStanding Tuesday, May 14, 24 @ 4:18 am
I don’t know why Carter wants to stay in the job. The CTA’s finances are a mess, every decision he has to make will create angst. Everyone thinks there is free money hidden in a drawer somewhere. I’d just retire and then say, “I told you so” during the DNC convention.
And no way does the Mayor favor a consolidation. Mayor’s like to control the CTA like it is a city department.
Comment by Not It Tuesday, May 14, 24 @ 6:19 am
Thank you Ald. Vasquez for trying to hold the Mayor and CTA leadership accountable. I just don’t understand MBJ on this - he has very little to gain politically from going to the mat for Carter.
Comment by Mark D Tuesday, May 14, 24 @ 6:31 am
If your transit agency leader won’t even ride it, they shouldn’t even lead it. Can’t know what’s wrong with your restaurant if you won’t even eat the cooking.
But City Council’s biggest CTA status quo defenders never use it and will be shocked, shocked when as part of any fiscal cliff relief deal the City loses majority control of it (and all those jobs).
Comment by ChicagoBars Tuesday, May 14, 24 @ 7:55 am
Chicago and Cook County when merit determines leadership positions and not politics.
Comment by Chicagonk Tuesday, May 14, 24 @ 8:29 am
“And finding someone who is qualified to do that job isn’t just a snap of the fingers kinda thing.”
Oddly enough, if you look at Dorval Carter’s LinkedIn page, he appears more than qualified to be CTA president.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/dorval-r-carter-jr-b26a574
The problem appears to be that he’s disinterested in actually doing the job.
– MrJM
Comment by @misterjayem Tuesday, May 14, 24 @ 8:31 am
That list of alders supporting the resolution is very diverse - it includes progressive DSA members as well as moderate / centrists. Clearly it has broad support from several city council factions and the administration should take it seriously.
Comment by low level Tuesday, May 14, 24 @ 8:32 am
After Phil Pagano left METRA, by stepping in front of train. METRA Board hired Alex Clifford to”right the ship” He was a disaster, Don Orseno an insider, did right the ship.. Let that be a lesson to all regarding Dorval
Comment by been there done that Tuesday, May 14, 24 @ 8:39 am
Yes second low level 8:32am , when Carlos Ramirez-Rosa and Brendan Reilly are on the same resolution, Mayor Johnson has a problem in the ranks.
Comment by ZC Tuesday, May 14, 24 @ 9:09 am
We he jump before he is pushed seems to be the only question left?
Comment by Annon3 Tuesday, May 14, 24 @ 9:12 am
== We he jump before he is pushed seems to be the only question left?==
Given he appears to be the mayor’s bff and the usual intransigence from the 5th floor, he will probably be there for the foreseeable future.
Comment by low level Tuesday, May 14, 24 @ 9:37 am
“Been there done that”, Right the ship. Metra rides below the surface and that will change when they go to Springfield for a bailout. They have been bulking up with Covid funds. There are 30 employees making > $175K of a total of 880 emplyees. 10% Of the noncontact workers make > $140K.
They bought the former Wickes furniture bldg in Harvey to build a large parts warehouse for $7,000,000 and then discovered it needed a $7,000,000 roof.
Let’s see how the consolidation goes.
Comment by James the Intolerant Tuesday, May 14, 24 @ 9:39 am
What Mayor Johnson seems to be missing here is there’s a bill in Springfield (proposed by Chicago members, no less) that would take control of the CTA away from the city. Dithering with Dorval is adding fuel to that fire.
Comment by Roman Tuesday, May 14, 24 @ 9:45 am
Consolidation is a bad idea.
Comment by Teve Demotte Tuesday, May 14, 24 @ 9:49 am
I agree with Ald. Hopkins’s points. It is not all Dorval Carter’s fault and scapegoating Carter is not going to solve the structural problems facing CTA. But CTA does not seem to have any plan or response to the obvious pressures it is under. That is the real intransigence from CTA and the Mayor’s Office. They just want to pretend everything is great.
Comment by Three Dimensional Checkers Tuesday, May 14, 24 @ 10:36 am
Over the past couple years it appears the CTA thinks complaints by the public are just PR problems, and not actual complaints that should be taken seriously. If they aren’t even willing to admit that there are areas of significant improvement needed, how can leadership be trusted to actually improve anything?
Comment by Homebody Tuesday, May 14, 24 @ 10:48 am
“And he doesn’t appear to even know it.”
Neither does the Mayor. That’s why I’m not sure if this personnel move would fix it…it might just end up with Carter’s Council allies digging themselves in the dirt more to block changes at the agency so long as their local hiring programs are safe.
Comment by NIU Grad Tuesday, May 14, 24 @ 10:56 am
When Carter did not attend City Council hearings he was requested to by the aldermen, he should have realized the clock started ticking that moment. When JB chimed in on it was time, it starting ticking a lot faster. As a regular CTA patron, good riddance.
Comment by levivotedforjudy Tuesday, May 14, 24 @ 11:07 am
Part of the transit debate needs to be providing services at lower costs (with all union labor). London has figured this out with a franchise model. They bid out a bunch of their bus routes to private operators (again, with union labor) who compete on service, fares and frequency and every few years when they rebid the contract, service gets better for the same public cost. Very common in Europe. We kind of do it for paratransit and Metra has done it for decades (albeit with one bidder) with the Union Pacific and BNSF actually providing the service on their tracks. We’re a great market for bidding out franchises or concessions since our density is so high around so many routes.
Comment by Dan Johnson Tuesday, May 14, 24 @ 11:41 am
Dan Johnson-
I would suggest you talk to some of Pace’s Paratransit riders to see exactly how well that “cost-saving” outsourcing works for them. (Spoiler: you get what you pay for)
Comment by Scooter Tuesday, May 14, 24 @ 12:31 pm
Offer it to Kam Buckner. Lots of good points here why Carter has to go regardless of his CV.
Comment by Original Rambler Tuesday, May 14, 24 @ 12:58 pm
===Offer it to Kam Buckner===
And his experience with day to day operations at one of the largest transit systems in the country is… ?
Comment by Rich Miller Tuesday, May 14, 24 @ 1:02 pm
After the last two City Hall transit appointees had near zero transit experience we’re going to wait to make a (long overdue) leadership change until they can now find some theoretical highly experienced perfect candidate?
This feels like a “Fixin’ to get ready” situation in the works so this PR problem can drag on for a few more months.
Comment by ChicagoBars Tuesday, May 14, 24 @ 2:17 pm
===some theoretical highly experienced perfect candidate?===
Who said that?
Comment by Rich Miller Tuesday, May 14, 24 @ 2:46 pm
CTA is lagging behind basically every other system in ridership recovery as a percentage of pre-Covid numbers. There’s plenty of talented leaders and managers in other systems around the country or the world who could do a good job at the CTA. If we want someone local, the South Shore Line has done a great job with its latest expansion and someone from management or leadership there could do great as CTA president.
Comment by Chicago Urbanist Tuesday, May 14, 24 @ 5:00 pm
It’s both/and. Dorval Carter of course is not the entire problem for why the CTA is trash. The entire governance and funding structure is in shambles because for too long it has been used a political appointee dumping ground for mayors who wanted weak-minded board so they can control it. The issue is “progressive” Mayor johnson can’t seem to understand the public has caught wind of this and they despise it due to CTA’s performance. Must change with the tides or drown. Sink or swim. Carter needs to go so we can start the change of how this is governed and replace actual board members with transportation experts. There are actually plenty of good candidates as our city has top universities that train urban planning and transit experts. Again, it’s a both/and situation. If only Johnson really analyzed the political context we are living in and actually idk be aprogressive and try to do things differently. What novel approach!
Comment by Bald&Beautiful Tuesday, May 14, 24 @ 5:03 pm