A cheerful Tuesday morning to you. For those of you who took the “L” on Monday morning, you perhaps spent more time shivering in the cold than you expected to. Full trains, running too far apart, left people standing and waiting — and probably grousing about the CTA and its leadership.

Well, things are going to change, at least at the top. CTA chief Dorval Carter Jr. announced Monday that he’s stepping down for a hospital gig, which has the Tribune Editorial Board ruminating about the CTA, the Red Line extension and the agency’s future. “A whole new style of management will be required of Carter’s successor, who needs to be someone who can get the trains reliably moving at their appointed time and build service, not struggle to maintain it,” the board writes today.

If you have any thoughts to share about the CTA, I encourage you to send us a letter using the link below.

Also in Tribune Opinion today, the head of a disability rights group explains how Chicago Teachers Union President Stacy Davis Gates’ recent remarks contribute to the stigmatization of students with disabilities. A refugee advocate argues that despite a rise in isolationism in the U.S., many Americans are admirably stepping up to help people fleeing war and instability in their home countries. And foreign affairs columnist Daniel DePetris considers whether Donald Trump’s goal of bringing peace to Ukraine in six months is achievable.

Plus, in our letters section, a letter writer defends Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch’s highly criticized stance on a state hemp bill.

Bundle up and sidestep that sidewalk ice. We’ll be back tomorrow.

— Colleen Kujawa, opinion editor

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