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Yesterday, a long-time transit exec announced plans to retire. Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA) Chief Executive Officer Roger Snoble will leave the agency once a successor is appointed.

Snoble, 63, has headed LACMTA the past seven years. Under his leadership, the agency has garnered national excellence awards and launched construction on several new light-rail lines. Snoble also helped secure the recent passage of Measure R, a new half-cent sales tax that will fund new rail, bus, street and highway improvements in L.A. County over the next 30 years.

"I did a lot of soul-searching and decided it's in the best interest of the agency to have an executive on board soon who can commit the next four to five years to guiding the development of dozens of critical transit and higway projects that will be funded by the new sales tax, which will be collected starting next July," said Snoble in a statement.

Prior to joining LACMTA in 2001, Snoble served as president and executive director of Dallas Area Rapid Transit. He also spent 20 years at the San Diego Transit Corp. in various posts, including president and general manager. Snoble began his career in 1965 as a planner for the Tri-County Regional Planning Commission in Akron, Ohio.

LACMTA now will recruit a new CEO, who will be responsible for rail and bus operations, as well as overseeing the construction of new transit projects, such as the six-mile Metro Gold Line extension to East Los Angeles that's nearing completion. In addition, LACMTA serves as the county's lead transportation planning agency and programs local, state and federal funds for transportation in 88 cities