When Mayor Rahm Emanuel sought out his first transportation chief, he lured Gabe Klein from Washington D.C. This week it was announced that Klein's successor had been found much closer to home: the city's transit authority.
"It looks like the next Chicago Department of Transportation commissioner will be following in Gabe Klein’s progressive footsteps," reports John Greenfield. "This morning the mayor’s office announced that Rahm Emanuel has selected Rebekah Scheinfeld, the CTA’s chief planning officer, to fill the vacancy, pending city council approval."
"While some of CDOT’s previous commissioners seemed fairly indifferent to public transportation, walking, and biking, Scheinfeld would be coming to the department with a proven track record of promoting transit," adds Greenfield. Though she led planning for the city's proposed rail extensions and bus rapid transit system, like her colleague in New York, Scheinfeld has fairly large shoes to fill. In just two and a half years, Klein racked up some impressive achievements in pushing the city towards more sustainable transportation, including launching the city's first bike-share system and publishing new CDOT guidelines on multi-modalism and sustainability.
“In two and a half years, Chicago has become a national leader in expanding transportation options and rebuilding infrastructure,” Emanuel said in a statement. “Rebekah will continue to build on our successful record and ensure that every Chicagoan has access to world-class transportation."
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