Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx Tapped to Head the Department of Transportation

Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx doesn't have a long transportation resumé (he doesn't have a long resume on a lot of things – the guy turns 42 tomorrow, and will leave Charlotte as the youngest mayor in the city's history). But what's there is certainly multi-modal: He's pushed for streetcars in his hometown and a light rail extension. He supports widening a local Interstate highway from six to eight lanes. He's been spotted, beaming, on a bike. And here he is unveiling a pilot program for electric vehicle charging stations.

We're not sure any of this amounts to evidence that Foxx will be the next great forward-thinking transportation secretary, as advocates are hoping today with President Obama's nomination of the Democratic mayor to replace Ray LaHood. But in an era when the federal DOT is pivoting away from its legacy as a builder of highways, Foxx seems to get that transportation – particularly in our cities – comes in many modes, and that they're each integral to the economic strength of a region.