Klein, if you ever do come up with a comprehensive route plan, financial business plan and economic development plan to go with those shiny brochures for the streetcar, let us know.

by Trulee Pist on Apr 19, 2011 1:24 pm  

I was never a huge Klein fan (liked his vision, wished for better management). Still, it's unbelievable that nearly 5 months into Mayor Gray's term, an important city agency like DDOT still has an interim director. Gray had what, almost four months after the primary and before becoming mayor to plan his administration?

by Sarah on Apr 19, 2011 1:36 pm  

CDOT overall seems to get it, but its scope is far more limited than DDOT's. They don't control the state roads (nor the piddling share of state money that goes to the city), the street parking, much of the street furniture, the transit, etc. It's a bigger city, but a smaller sandbox in many ways. Plus, the city isn't just dead broke, it's mortgaged to the hilt. The new CTA president follows in Daley's footsteps of hiring "good managers" without much transportation experience; he's a perfectly capable, incorruptible, and smart guy (whom I voted for several times) but not someone who lives & breathes buses & trains.

That said, there are some upcoming federally funded projects for both agencies -- e.g., rebuilding major arterials like Milwaukee and Ogden avenues -- that could get much more interesting with Klein around.

by Payton on Apr 19, 2011 1:46 pm  

Good for Gabe.

Still scratching my head over all those pro-transit folks who were Gray-backers.

by T Moore on Apr 19, 2011 5:10 pm  

Good for Gabe and good riddance. Let him move on to play politics, Chi-town style.

by HogWash on Apr 19, 2011 5:42 pm  

Hahaha. The same 4 jealous people crying including Sarah Campbell, and David with his negative blurbs after all the positive press today.

Just stop defending your choice to vote for the village idiot and his merry bunch of thieves. Otherwise you are all destined for obscurity, like Vincent C. Gray.

by transitjunkie on Apr 19, 2011 8:39 pm  

They are jealous. They used to say he only had "rental car" experience with that dingy Zipcar he helped start.

Oops, now has $1 billion valuation and he gets to do what he wants.

I say good work Gabe. Ignore the whining from people who talk instead of doing.

DC loses, Chicago wins.

by dinguskhan on Apr 19, 2011 8:46 pm  

Go Gabe - Go Chicago!

by Fred on Apr 19, 2011 8:49 pm  

Hopefully he'll have learned from his problems here and won't repeat them there. Maybe he won't have a boss pushing him forward without the resources required to really get the job done. Maybe he'll hire someone with planning experience so that the very serious mistakes that happened here don't get repeated there. I wish him and Chicago well.

by Lance on Apr 20, 2011 8:34 am  

People talk about mistakes that were made but in the end, Gabe Klein got things done and made positive things happen. Even if you have to upset a few people along the way that is much better than being in constant discussion mode and never really accomplishing anything of significance. That is my worry about the current administration.

by Jim on Apr 20, 2011 11:07 am  

This just goes to show exactly how strong Fenty's bench really was. Let's see...Rhee went on to star in an award winning documentary about her accomplishments, Klein to the second city, and don't forget CTO Vivek Kundra who is now the kickin' it in the white house as the Federal CIO.

We can look forward to Gray cabinet members getting equally as famous after office as Suilamon Brown has already starred in congressional hearings and "fully loaded SUV" will surely makes it's way into the hiphop lexicon.

by Falls Church on Apr 20, 2011 2:02 pm  

I've heard people asking if we can expect a "GreaterGreaterChicago" blog soon.

LOL

by Lance on Apr 21, 2011 11:47 am