Johnson’s transit board picks advanced in committee, although advocates packed the City Hall hearing to protest them

A larger-than-expected crowd prompted the Chicago City Council’s Committee on Transportation and Public Way to move Tuesday’s transit board confirmation hearing from Room 201A to the City Council Chambers.

Transit advocates used the public comment period to call for board members who regularly ride public transportation and strongly support the region’s new transit governance structure. Several speakers specifically opposed current CTA Board Chair Lester Barclay’s appointment to the Northern Illinois Transit Authority and current CTA board director Pastor Michael Eaddy’s reappointment to the new CTA board.

Despite those objections, the committee advanced all eight of Mayor Brandon Johnson’s nominees. Barclay received at least one audible “no” vote from Committee Vice-Chair Ald. Andre Vasquez (40th), the Council’s most outspoken transit advocate, while the other candidates appeared to advance unanimously by voice vote.

Public comment was limited to 30 minutes, with speakers receiving three minutes each. Roughly a dozen transit advocates and nominee supporters attended, but several people who had not received speaker slips before the room change were unable to testify.

W. Robert Schultz III, a campaign organizer with the Active Transportation Alliance and co-chair of the Transportation Equity Network’s advocacy committee, urged the committee to appoint “champions” who understand transit funding, monitor system performance, represent riders with disabilities, and regularly ride transit.

“The opportunity created through the NITA legislation must be matched by appointing the strongest possible champions for public transportation,” Schultz said.

Transit advocate Nik Hunder cited records obtained through Freedom of Information Act requests showing Barclay used his complimentary CTA pass 49 times in 2025, including only three bus trips. Eaddy used his pass 36 times, Hunder said.

Post by Nik Hunder on July 7, when Johnson announced his picks.

Hunder also criticized Barclay’s oversight record and his response to the NITA Act. After the legislation passed, Barclay wrote a Chicago Tribune op-ed warning that the regional structure could weaken CTA’s independence and the Chicago mayor’s influence over the agency.

“Why should somebody who doesn’t really seem to like the system that he oversees be rewarded with an even greater board appointment?” Hunder asked.

Barclay says he supports NITA

The committee first considered Johnson’s five NITA nominees together. The mayor nominated Oswaldo Alvarez, currently a director for the Regional Transportation Authority, which NITA will replace on September 1, and Barclay to serve on both the NITA and CTA boards. Dennis Mondero, also a current RTA director, would serve on the NITA and Metra boards. Current RTA director Natasha Jenkins would be on the NITA and Pace boards. And Dee Atkins, whom Johnson’s office described as “a nonprofit and corporate social responsibility executive,” would serve on the NITA board alone. The overlapping memberships are intended to improve coordination between the regional authority and the individual transit agencies.

Barclay defended his record since becoming CTA board chair in 2021. He cited increasing ridership, record hiring, balanced budgets, clean financial audits, expanded security deployments, and the Red Line Extension groundbreaking. He also directly addressed concerns about his views on regional reform.

“I support the reforms enacted by the new law and fully embrace the spirit of regional coordination that they represent,” Barclay said. “Regional coordination and independent board governance are not competing ideas.”

Ald. William Conway (34th) criticized the Johnson administration for introducing the nominations directly into committee shortly before the new boards must take office September 1. The timing, Conway said, left City Council with limited time to scrutinize the nominees.

Conway also raised concerns about long-term transit funding and disability representation. While Johnson nominated Access Living President and CEO Karen Tamley to the Pace board, none of the mayor’s CTA nominees specifically represents riders with disabilities.

Vice-Chair Vasquez asked the five NITA nominees how frequently they ride public transportation. (Again, see 2025 ridership numbers for the current CTA board members in Nik Hunder’s post, above.) Most described themselves as regular riders, and several said they had taken transit to the hearing.

Vasquez then questioned Barclay about the apparent difference between his testimony supporting NITA and the concerns raised in his Tribune op-ed. Barclay said he had not intended to oppose regional coordination. Instead, he said, he worried that officials from outside Chicago might not fully understand the experiences of CTA riders.

Vasquez also pressed Barclay about the CTA board’s oversight of former agency president Dorval Carter. Riders and alders repeatedly criticized unreliable service, safety problems, and the board’s reluctance to publicly challenge Carter during his final years leading the agency. 

Barclay replied that he had engaged with Vasquez and other Council members. Vasquez responded that any criticism occurring privately was not visible to riders. “None of that was being held to the public, who was expecting a level of transparency,” the alder said.

Ultimately, all five NITA appointments advanced by voice vote.

Eaddy disputes ridership numbers

The committee next approved Diaz’s Metra reappointment after he discussed his transit use, organizing background, and commitment to meeting regularly with riders and advocates.

Eaddy then appeared for consideration of his CTA reappointment. He said two years of board meetings and briefings had expanded his knowledge of CTA operations, budgets, security, and rider concerns.

Vasquez asked Eaddy about records indicating that he used his complimentary CTA pass 36 times in 2025. Eaddy said the number did not reflect his full transit use because he often pays instead of using the pass. 

Vasquez clarified that he did not object to a pastor serving on the board. His concern, he said, was whether administrations select members for their qualifications or their political relationships.

After Eaddy discussed his connections with West Side students, parents, workers, and violence interrupters, Vasquez said those communities are often missing from technical transit discussions and that he would support the nomination.

Another alder asked Eaddy about Grade of Automation 4 train technology and modern fare gates used by Bay Area Rapid Transit. Eaddy said he was unfamiliar with the specific technology but would consider the issue with the CTA board. Eaddy’s appointment advanced with at no audible vote against it.

Tamley, a wheelchair user and former commissioner of the Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities, then described more than three decades of accessibility advocacy and 12 previous years on the Pace board.

“Disability representation on our service boards is critically important,” she said.

Tamley pledged to attend Pace’s ADA Advisory Committee meetings and seek input from riders with both visible and non-apparent disabilities. Her nomination also advanced.

The oral roll call recorded nine of the committee’s 14 members present: including Chair Gregory Mitchell (7th), Vasquez, Conway, and Waguespack. Fuentes, Ervin, and Rodriguez participated remotely.

The appointments now move to the full City Council for consideration.

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