CTA President Dorval Carter is stepping down from the city’s transit agency at the end of the month to be CEO of St. Anthony Hospital in North Lawndale.
Carter announced his retirement in a press release early this morning after years of complaints from riders about unreliable service and safety.
In the last few years, the embattled president has been mandated to attend quarterly City Council meetings after alders criticized him for skipping hearings. He’s also faced questions about how often he actually takes transit, Block Club reported.
Carter has received significant pay increases in the decade he has been in charge of the CTA: His $391,108 annual salary makes him not only one of the highest-paid city employees but also almost as well compensated as the president of the United States.
Mayor Brandon Johnson previously sidestepped pressure to fire the CTA president, and lauded Carter in the statement announcing his retirement. One of Carter’s recent successes includes securing federal funding for the Red Line extension.
The announcement comes as state lawmakers consider a plan to combine CTA, Metra, and Pace. The agencies face a combined $730 million budget gap.
Carter’s departure leaves Chicago without permanent heads of schools, transit, and public housing all at the same time.
