RTA exec. director quitting

The executive director of the RTA is calling it quits. He says his frustration with the job plays a role in his decision.

Stephen Schlickman says he signed on for 5 years in the job with the Regional Transportation Authority and that time is up in October. He says he wants to return to his consulting practice.

RTA: Transit agencies running out of cash
More cuts loom without $250 million state owes

The Regional Transportation Authority issued a warning Thursday: Unless the state comes up with the cash it owes the transit agencies within a few months, more service cuts like the ones CTA riders are experiencing may be inevitable.

The state's delay in paying $250 million it owes the transit systems "has reached an alarming point and creates a significant risk for our 2 million daily riders and 15,000 employees," RTA Executive Director Steve Schlickman told Gov. Pat Quinn in a letter.

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Meanwhile, Schlickman announced Thursday that he would leave the agency in October after five years as executive director and resume his consulting practice.

Citing the stress of the job, Schlickman, 56, said leaving the RTA was a personal decision reached jointly with his wife. His salary is $217,910.

Although Schlickman said he is proud of his tenure, he believes Chicago's transit system has yet to achieve status befitting a world-class city.