Mullan to quit as chief of transit

Word of his departure came five days after the Globe reported that the falling fixture represented a bigger threat to public safety than Mullan had acknowledged and that, within days of its February crash, inspectors found nine other light fixtures that were corroding to the point that they could have also collapsed, but the inspectors did not report them. The Globe report created an uproar that has engulfed Mullan and his agency, already under fire for poorly communicating the depth of the problem.

But two people close to Patrick said Mullan, who became secretary in October 2009, said he had asked the governor for a salary increase in May because he was facing a financial strain from his children’s school tuition. He argued that his duties had greatly expanded since the 2009 state law that merged all the state’s roads, rails, and bridges under his authority.

When Patrick rejected his request, Mullan told him that he needed to return to the private sector and earn a higher salary, the people said. Mullan took a salary cut when he moved from his $160,000-a-year job as director of the now-defunct Massachusetts Turnpike Authority to become Patrick’s secretary of transportation in 2009, with a $150,000 salary.

Mullan’s statement yesterday explained his “intention to transition from the administration within the year for personal reasons.’’ He added that when he discussed the issue with the governor in May, he “made no final decisions regarding my future at that time. While I still intend to transition out this year, I have made no final plans.’’

Patrick, while upset over the way the light fixture problem was handled, has repeatedly expressed confidence in Mullan’s leadership of the agency. He reaffirmed that support yesterday.

“Mullan continues to be a creative and effective partner to this administration,’’ the governor said in his own statement. “Whenever he leaves, we will all feel that loss, and his leadership at MassDOT will be missed. I will continue to support Jeff and his family in whatever he decides to do next.’’