Photo by DDOTDC on Flickr.

In the wake of disappointing news that Mayor-Elect Vincent Gray won’t be keeping Gabe Klein and several other Fenty cabinet officials, District residents and smart growth advocates have a distinct duty to avoid doom-and-gloom projections and frantic searches for apartments in Arlington or Silver Spring.

Gray’s decision to replace Klein is disappointing, no doubt, but should not come as much of a surprise. While the Committee of 100 and a host of entrenched Ward 3 residents may gloat that the transportation policies of the past few years are on the way out, it’s more likely Gray made the decision out of discomfort with the process rather than the policy.

The bottom line from this year’s primary election, that many seem to have forgotten by now, is that there were pretty minuscule policy differences in the Gray and Fenty platforms. What most distinguishes the two are their approaches to decision-making.

Gabe Klein was the poster child for Fenty’s reliance on fast-acting, agile agencies that were willing to push new policies quickly into fruition, evaluate them on an interim basis, and, assuming successful outcomes, work quickly to push for broader implementation.

This style is anathema to Vince Gray’s affinity for more reserved, intricately studied, broadly discussed, and carefully compromised policy-making. As many have stated, this move does not necessarily amount to a rebuttal by Vincent Gray of those smart growth and alternative transportation policies that were coming out of DDOT. Though some of Gray’s supporters would like that, it is still too early to tell.

While I’m disappointed by Gray’s need to very apparently distance himself from the Fenty administration, despite his continued statements of support for a smart growth agenda (David didn’t endorse him for no reason), it’s pretty much standard operating procedure in changing political administrations for the biggest heads to roll. We will have to see who Gray picks to succeed Klein, to make a better judgment on where DC’s transportation and growth policy is heading.

What is perhaps more disappointing is the dismissal of DCRA’s Linda Argo. Argo has been relatively low profile throughout their tenure, despite making major strides in their agencies. Under her leadership, DCRA has undertaken a variety of daunting regulatory rewrites in an open and informative way, to the benefit of Washington business.

Bryan Sivak, another cabinet member let go today, has pushed OCTO to continue open up DC government to the public, releasing mountains of data and creating a variety of tools to provide District citizens with a window into the workings of their government. While relatively low key in DC, Sivak has become something of a superstar in Gov 2.0 circles for his great work in the District.

As such, I will be eagerly awaiting Gray’s cabinet announcements to see if he keeps any Fenty appointees on board. Gray’s announcement that he will promote Fenty’s head of DCPS school modernization, Allen Lew, to City Administrator is encouraging on this front. Rumors have also begun swirling that Office of Planning chief Harriet Tregoning will be asked to stay or even promoted to Deputy Mayor for Economic Development.

Most disappointing in this whole saga was this morning’s revelation that Gray and Klein have not spoken in 3 months. I’m baffled that the man who ran on a platform of “One City” and touts himself a public servant who believes in the importance of hearing opposing viewpoints, listening to all the disparate voices, and making compromises, was unable to find time to discuss the direction of the city’s transportation department with its current head.

Perhaps neither is true, and the two just simply didn’t have time to talk. After all, they have both been extraordinarily busy with running the city. All in all, I think it’s too soon to make summary judgment about where Vince Gray will take the District.

While I voted for Fenty, I’m not ready to throw the towel in on the incoming Gray administration. If anything, now is the time to make our voices heard, as Gray looks for new people to fill these positions.