More heat is directed at CTA President Dorval Carter Jr. after 4 are shot dead on Blue Line
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Criticism about the Chicago Transit Authority has been mounting for some time—and has spiked tremendously after four people were shot and killed on a Blue Line train on Labor Day morning.
The man at the center of the criticism is CTA President Dorval Carter Jr., calls for whose resignation made headlines back in May. At that time, several members of the City Council had concerns that Carter had not been doing enough to improve CTA conditions, ridership, and safety.
The alderpeople's disdain for Carter has been renewed in light of the murders on the Blue Line, which were discovered at the terminal on the West Side branch of the line in west suburban Forest Park.
Carter first became CTA president in 2015., He succeeded former mayoral chief of staff, Chicago Park District superintendent, and Cook County Commissioner Forrest Claypool—who was appointed as chief executive officer of Chicago Public Schools by then-Mayor Rahm Emanuel and later resigned from that post amid an ethics scandal.
Before becoming CTA president, Carter served as acting chief of staff to U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. Carter was also acting president of the CTA from January to April 2009—having first joined the CTA in 2000 after serving as Acting Deputy Administrator for the Federal Transit Commission.
Currently, Carter makes $375,000 a year to oversee 10,000 CTA employees and a transit system that serves millions of riders annually.
"It's pretty unacceptable to not have the level of accountability, transparency, and accessibility when you're making that much out of public dollars," said Ald. Andre Vasquez (40th).
Safety while riding the rails and buses is a consistent issue for the CTA, from shootings to robberies and assaults.
CBS News Chicago reported earlier this year that CTA under Carter's leadership spent $71 million on 300 security officers in 2022. That same year, crime on the CTA system shot up 23%. Complaints about a lack of reliable service also continually crop up.
When asked about the challenges, Carter told the City Council in February that he was doing the best he could. But many City Council members have questioned Carter's transparency.
"He's appointed, I'm elected—and so you answer elected officials," said Ald. Jeanette Taylor (20th). "We play a role in the money that CTA gets."
Multiple aldermen, including Vasquez and Taylor, have also called for Carter to step down—or to be fired by Mayor Brandon Johnson.
"That's a look at leadership, and so we got a real problem with leadership," Taylor said, "and so of course I'm not supportive of the current president, and I would hope that the administration finds somebody new."
The Blue Line shooting on Monday morning that killed four people is another stain on Carter's record, Vasquez said.
Rhanni Davis, 30, of Chicago, is charged with four counts of first-degree murder in the shooting. All four victims were passengers on a Blue Line train as it was headed into the Forest Park terminal when they were shot shortly before 5:30 a.m.
Police said it did not appear the shooter knew any of the victims, who all appeared to be sleeping while riding the train.
Carter addresses mass shooting at Tuesday night news conference
Carter did speak about the mass shooting at a news conference Tuesday evening, alongside Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx, Forest Park Mayor Rory Haskins, and other Forest Park village officials. Carter said CTA employees immediately began assisting police as soon as they learned of the horrific crime—helping in such tasks as reviewing security camera footage. He also focused the CTA's own emphasis on safety.
"To our riders, we want you to know that we hear you, and we understand your concerns about safety. The men and women of the CTA are united in our commitment to ensure that we're doing everything in our power to protect our, riders as well as our employees," Carter said.
Carter said he could not speak to whether the four people who were shot and killed on the train were homeless.
"What I can tell you is that on the issue of homelessness itself, we have engaged and provided more resources to support people who are homeless on CTA than ever in the history of our agency," he said.
This effort includes partnering with social agencies whose representatives are on the system every night to provide the unhoused options other than sleeping on the CTA.
But Carter added that the CTA alone cannot solve crises such as homelessness and addiction.
Earlier, some alderpeople complained that it took more than a day and a half after the tragedy for Carter to step in front of the cameras to talk about it.
"I do understand that first, you want to get all the details," Vasquez said, "but I think in a time when you have a public service like this—and people have concerns about the safety and reliability of the CTA—it's incumbent to be out there fast with a response."
Ald. Scott Waguespack (32nd) also expressed disappointment about Carter's notable absence at the crime scene since the massacre happened.
"I think he should've been one of the first people on the ground there to see what was happening," Waguespack said.
It should be noted that the murders did happen on Labor Day, and several city employees had the day off.
But Waguespack said the fact that Monday was a holiday should not make a difference for the president of the CTA.
"It's really incumbent upon him to be at the helm and say: 'Look, here I am. I'm here with my staff, and we're going to try to figure this out with police to make sure this doesn't happen again,'" Waguespack said.
So is Mayor Johnson still confident in Carter's leadership? CBS News Chicago asked that question Tuesday, but the Mayor's office has not responded.
Meantime, CTA advocates from a group called "Commuters Take Action" are also speaking out about Carter and CTA failures. They said safety can be improved by increasing service—on the grounds that more riders would mean more eyes on the system.
