Transportation
A Moveable Chief: A Conversation With Chicago Transportation Commissioner Gabe Klein
The former D.C. transportation leader reflects on taking his show on the road.
Gabe Klein was an unconventional pick to head the District of Columbia's Department of Transportation when he was hired back in 2008, by then-mayor Adrian Fenty.
He'd been a Zipcar executive. He had helped found a local boutique food-truck company. But he had never worked in government. Over the next two years, he rolled out bikesharing, new bike lanes, streetcar plans and next-generation parking infrastructure – and along the way, he created a lot of fans among smart-growth advocates.