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Stephen Schlickman, Executive Director of the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA), today announced that he will depart the agency after his five-year anniversary on October 3, 2010.
"We have accomplished a great deal in my five years at the RTA. I am grateful to have worked with Jim Reilly who has been a tireless and dedicated Chairman as well as our Board of Directors, the heads of the CTA, Metra and Pace and their Boards of Directors, to improve and promote transit service in Northeastern Illinois," Schlickman said. He noted as highlights that under his and Reilly's tenure the RTA created its first strategic plan in over 15 years that was completed in 2007. Also in 2007, a performance audit of the RTA and service boards that was conducted by the Illinois Auditor General validated the need to invest more in mass transit and recommended that RTA's role in regional planning should be strengthened. Under Schlickman's leadership, historic new transit legislation was enacted in 2008 that substantially increased funding for mass transit operations, strengthened the RTA's role in promoting coordination, efficiency and transparency, and reformed the CTA's pension and retiree health care systems. . Last year, the State of Illinois committed $2.7 billion in capital funding to the region's transit system. At the federal level, Schlickman led the formation of a coalition of the largest transit systems in the country to develop transportation policy and promote reinvestment in transit infrastructure to meet national mobility, economic, and environmental goals.
"I made a commitment to stay in this job for five years during this very important time for our transit system and our region. By October, we will have achieved many of the goals we have sought for the RTA. I am proud of the work that we accomplished during my tenure, and I think whomever succeeds me can continue to work with CTA, Metra and Pace to strengthen the system at a time when transit is more important than ever to improve mobility and air quality while creating jobs," said Schlickman.
Following his departure in the fall, Schlickman intends to resume his transportation policy and finance consulting practice that he operated before coming to the RTA. He and his wife, Alison, also look forward to more flexibility in their lives to accomplish other personal goals.
All of us at the RTA, members of the Board and staff, will miss Steve but we all respect his decision that it is time to move on and wish him well in all future endeavors. Every transit rider in the region owes Steve a debt of gratitude. And I will personally miss his steady guidance and indefatigable energy, but I look forward to continuing our friendship in the years to come.
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