This is really great news for Chicago. Klein was fired by DC's new mayor who is anti-reform, but under the previous mayor Klein did really fantastic things with the DC DOT. He's very much a "doer" and is totally on board with the progressive urbanist agenda for cities. He's responsible for most of the city's best bike infrastructure, especially.
Before working for DC, he was an executive with ZipCar.
Big win for Chicago.
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Transportation Nation
http://transportationnation.org/2011/04/19/breaking-rahm-emanuel-names-dcs-gabe-klein-as-chicago-transpo-chief/
BREAKING: Rahm Emanuel Names DC's Gabe Klein As Chicago Transpo Chief
Transportation Nation has learned that Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel has picked his transportation chief. Gabe Klein, former head of Washington D.C.’s Department of Transportation will become the head of the Chicago Department of Transportation next month. An announcement is expected later this morning.
Klein tells Transportation Nation that he hopes to build on the innovative programs that were put in place in Washington, D.C. and transform Chicago into a world class transportation city. During his tenure, D.C. launched a bikeshare program, expanded bike lanes and installed several electric car charging stations.
As we’ve reported here before, Rahm Emanuel, the former White House chief of staff, is largely supportive of public transit, is a cyclist himself, and has said he wants to build 100 miles of new bike lanes during his first term.
His transportation plan when running for mayor was, in essence, a transit plan. Emanuel also impressed local transit and transportation activists with his interest in the topic and detailed knowledge of the issues including having a specific favorite bike-lane design.
Now Chicago has a pro-bike, pro-transit pair in charge of transportation policy.
|
Linear Mode
