Skip to Content
Streetsblog USA home
Streetsblog USA home
Log In
Streetfilms

Streetfilms: D.C. DOT Director Talks ‘Transportation Freedom’

Meet Gabe Klein, who was appointed to direct Washington D.C.'s Department of Transportation (DDOT) in December 2008. With a background that includes four years working for Zipcar, Klein was brought in to look at the city's mobility problems from a fresh perspective. As he says:

Cars are a part of our daily life here in D.C., but what we want to do is try to equalize the playing field. Encourage people to walk, to bike, to bike share; or instead of owning a car -- car share.

D.C. already has one of the lowest household car-ownership rates of any major U.S. city, so actively promoting these modes is essential -- as Klein points out -- to helping people move about with freedom.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog USA

Friday Video: Guess Which Argument Can Get a NIMBY To Change Their Mind About New Housing

Put your instincts to the test with this fascinating experiment about the power of messaging to win support for urbanism.

March 20, 2026

Friday’s Headlines Took the Road Less Traveled By

And that has made all the difference, when it comes to preventing traffic deaths.

March 20, 2026

Study: How Ambiguous Definition of ‘Major Transit Stop’ Creates Wiggle Room for Municipalities

This is a story of how well-intentioned efforts by the state to tie new development to transit hinge on how local governments (with their own incentives) interpret broad state law.

March 19, 2026

Talking Headways Podcast: Growing St. Louis’s Arts and Culture District

This week on Talking Headways, step inside St. Louis's Grand Center Arts District with the people who make it happen.

March 19, 2026

Advocates Get D.C. Mayor To Release Buried Report On The Potential Benefits Of Congestion Pricing

How many other conversations about congestion pricing across the country are being suppressed — and how many have never even gotten started?

March 19, 2026
See all posts