Public commenters urge CTA board to hold nationwide search for next president; board recesses to executive session

The Chicago Transit Authority Board on May 8 heard more than a half-dozen public commentators urging the board to conduct a transparent, nationwide search for the authority's next president and to delay any appointment until after the Illinois General Assembly's spring session. The board did not name a new president at the special meeting; it voted to permit two directors to participate remotely and later recessed into executive session.

The public comment period, which the board scheduled as the first open item on the agenda, drew speakers from transit advocacy groups and longtime riders concerned about what they described as a rushed, opaque process. "A leader appointed without transparency and without a serious candidate search sends the wrong message at the wrong time," said Nick Mullen, a South Evanston resident. "I implore members of the board to think deeply."

Kyle Lucas, executive director of Better Streets Chicago, told the board the group and a coalition of transportation and disability organizations had urged…