For the second time in a row, the boss of the Chicago Transit Authority’s avoided questions from City Council members because too few of them showed up to a required meeting.
Wednesday was supposed to be the Transportation Committee’s second special quarterly meeting this year, where Council members can question CTA’s interim President Nora Leerhsen. The Council has been mandating the CTA boss’ quarterly appearance since 2023, after then-CTA boss Dorval Carter repeatedly refused to show up.
Instead, the meeting was canceled because only six members of the 14-person panel showed up — one less than the seven needed to hold a quorum.
When the same thing happened at the March special meeting, in which only five members showed, Transportation Committee Chair Gregory Mitchell (7th) promptly canceled the meeting before anyone else could speak.
This time, however, Mitchell allowed public comment and remarks from Leerhsen, who used the roughly half hour to list her accomplishments as interim head of the CTA since early 2025.
Ald. David Moore (17th), who attended the meeting virtually and did not count toward a quorum, told the Sun-Times he was disappointed so few members showed that they couldn’t ask questions. Moore said he’s generally supportive of Leerhsen’s leadership, though he had previously championed Johnson’s former chief operating officer John Roberson to lead the CTA.
“People should not only show up to ask questions but be there to hear what’s going on” so they can communicate developments in the CTA to their constituents, Moore said.
In her remarks, Leerhsen touted a continued drop in overall crime, especially on the Red Line. A surge in police officers on trains, driven in part by funding threats from the Trump administration, has helped drive an 80% drop in crime on the Red Line over last year.
Leerhsen also boasted about CTA ridership reaching its highest point in six years; a growth in bus ridership following an expansion of its frequent bus network; and a drop in smoking complaints by 40% since 2024. After the meeting, Leerhsen’s office declined to comment.
The committee’s second failed attempt to reach a quorum comes during a consequential time for Chicago transit.
The newly formed Northern Illinois Transit Authority is about to reshape the region’s transit and shift some power away from Mayor Brandon Johnson, who can no longer pick a permanent CTA leader without the new board’s approval.
A new NITA board must also be seated by Sept. 1. And Johnson plans to announce his NITA board picks by early next week, mayoral spokesperson Griffin Krueger told the Sun-Times on Wednesday.
Those board seats are top of mind for Ald. Bill Conway (34th), who missed Wednesday’s meeting but attended virtually.
“Not having the City represented [in the NITA board] would be the equivalent of one of the 13 original colonies not sending representation to the Constitutional Convention on Day 1,” Conway told the Sun-Times. “I’m losing sleep over it!”
Panel member Ald. Brian Hopkins (2nd), who missed Wednesday’s meeting, told the Sun-Times he has among the highest attendance rates on the City Council.
“On those few occasions when I am absent, it’s typically due to illness or family commitments that were scheduled prior to notice of the date for the missed meeting,” he said in a text message.
Six Council members attended Wednesday’s meeting in person: Mitchell, Scott Waguespack (32nd), Samantha Nugent (39th), Michael Rodriguez (22nd), Michelle Harris (8th) and Andre Vasquez (40th).
Also missing were Jason Ervin (28th), Jeylu Gutierrez (14th), Ronnie Mosley (21st), Jessie Fuentes (26th) and Desmon Yancy (5th).
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to correctly reflect which Council members were present Wednesday.
