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CTA chief announces exit amid funding woes

Chicago Transit Authority President Dorval Carter announced his retirement Monday after 26 years at the agency.

The exit of the 67-year-old comes as the CTA faces a funding crisis and amid calls for his resignation from numerous Chicago aldermen. But Carter had resisted that pressure, only just celebrating a final funding agreement to extend the Red Line on Friday.

“Serving as president of this great agency has been an extraordinary privilege and I am forever grateful for what has been the opportunity of a lifetime,” Carter said in a statement.

“It has been an honor to work on behalf of CTA customers and to advance our mission in a city that I love so dearly.”

Carter’s last day at the CTA is Jan. 31.

The COVID-19 pandemic decimated ridership on Metra, Pace and the CTA, and Carter was blamed for a slow rebound as well as concerns about crime on the system.

Mayor Brandon Johnson said in a statement that Carter’s “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.”

Finding a replacement may be fraught. The CTA, Metra and Pace are looking at a projected $770 million shortfall when federal pandemic aid runs out in 2026.

As the state considers how to fix the budget hole, some lawmakers are pushing to merge the three agencies into a supersized organization.

Carter oversaw over $11 billion in projects in various stages including the Red Line extension, the modernization of the Red and Purple lines, and multiple diversity initiatives.

Carter started at the CTA as an attorney and also served as executive vice president and chief administrative officer. He spent 10 years as the agency’s chief.

Carter also worked for the U.S. Department of Transportation and Federal Transit Administration.

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