Gabe Klein is a government official, urban planner, entrepreneur, and an investor specializing in sustainability and transportation.
Klein currently serves in the Biden Administration as the head of the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation. [1] In this role, he has led the roll-out of a national electric vehicle charging network. Klein–who oversees a $7.5 billion budget in this position–is the first-ever Executive Director of the Joint Office, also the first office in the federal government to span multiple agencies.
Previously, Klein co-founded Cityfi, a consultancy that works with local governments, foundations, and venture-backed startups. He was also the Commissioner of the Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT), [2] and the Director of the District of Columbia Department of Transportation (DDOT). [3] Before those roles, Klein was an Executive with Boston-based Zipcar. He authored the book Start-Up City: Inspiring Private and Public Entrepreneurship, Getting Projects Done, and Having Fun. [4]
Gabe Klein was born in Hartford, Connecticut. [5] At 10, he studied under Swami Satchidananda Swami Satchidananda at the Yogaville Vidyalayam interfaith school [6] in Buckingham County, Virginia. He graduated from Virginia Tech in 1994 with a degree in marketing management.
Gabe Klein's career began working as Director of Stores for Bikes USA, the largest bike retailer in the 1990s.
In late 2002, Klein was hired by Zipcar Founder Robin Chase to help scale the company, which had less than 30 cars in Washington D.C. and under 150 cars nationally. As regional Vice President, he convinced the D.C. government to give Zipcar on-street parking, and oversaw a team that developed models for fleet management, operations, and marketing. [7]
Concurrently, Klein co-founded On The Fly, an electric vehicle vending company, with electric food trucks called SmartKarts that drove on the streets and sidewalks, serving local, fresh, and natural food in the Washington, DC area. On the Fly was one of the first multi-unit and multi-channel food truck companies in the United States, with brick and mortar stores and mobile catering options launched in 2008.
Klein was appointed by Mayor Adrian M. Fenty as the Director of the District of Columbia Department of Transportation (DDOT) in December 2008, and served until the end of Fenty's term on December 31, 2010. Klein immediately solicited feedback from progressive City Council members, smart growth organizations, and people in the smart cities and transportation space nationally in order to reinvent the agency as a customer-focused operation.
After months of work, Klein and the DDOT team released their first "Action Agenda", [8] modeled on the New York City Sustainable Streets plan [9] released the previous year, which established a roadmap for 1-2 year sprints to accomplish goals. Klein treated DDOT more like a startup than a slow-moving government agency, and oversaw the following new and ongoing initiatives:
In May 2011, Klein joined Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel's administration as the Commissioner of the Chicago Department of Transportation. He was recruited as the first external hire (not from Chicago), and served on the transition team formulating the plan with a small group. He spearheaded big public realm projects like the Chicago Riverwalk and the 606 Trail, infrastructure projects like the renovation and expansion of three CTA stations, and mobility projects like Divvy Bikeshare.
Under his administration, Klein oversaw the following new and ongoing initiatives:
Gabe Klein oversaw the publication of the following documents:
In November 2020, Klein was named a volunteer member of the Joe Biden presidential transition Agency Review Team, to support transition efforts related to the United States Department of Transportation.
In September 2022, Klein was tapped to lead the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation. [15] In his role–the first-ever Executive Director–Klein leads a team tasked with rolling out a network of electric vehicle charging and sustainable fueling stations nationwide. [16] His office has provided significant resources to states, cities, Metropolitan Planning Organizations, and companies that need technical assistance to roll out infrastructure.
Over the first two years, under Klein's leadership, the Joint Office has developed uniform minimum standards for charging with FHWA, which include consistent plug types and charging speeds, common payment systems, and accessible pricing information, locations, and availability. [17] In addition, these standards establish strong workforce requirements and will create and support good-paying, highly skilled jobs in communities across the country. He established the ChargeX consortium, which funded the Argonne National Laboratory, the Idaho National Laboratory, and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory to address three EV charging challenges: payment processing and user interface, vehicle-charger communication, and diagnostic data sharing. [18]
In collaboration with Tesla, SAE, and other industry players, the Joint Office facilitated moving the Tesla and North American Charging System into the public domain as an open standard (J3400) [19] for use by any automaker. The Joint Office is also supporting a new $5.6 billion program to help transit agencies replace aging buses, reduce air pollution and improve the reliability of transit systems, as well as a $5 billion clean school bus program administered by the Environmental Protection Agency. [20] Transit agencies can buy or lease U.S.-built zero-emission and low-emission transit buses and the necessary charging equipment and support facilities.
Klein and the Joint Office launched EVChart–a national data portal for charging data–and is working with federal highways on billions of dollars of funding for both grants for cities and states and formula funding. [21] He also oversaw the roll-out of a National Zero Emission Freight Strategy, which focuses on advancing the deployment of zero-emission medium- and heavy-duty vehicle (ZE-MHDV) fueling infrastructure by targeting public investment to amplify private sector momentum, focus utility and regulatory energy planning, align industry activity, and mobilize communities for clean transportation. [22]
Klein co-founded Cityfi in 2016, a consultancy that advises governments from Colorado to Chengdu on their transportation and innovation strategies as well as private companies ranging from Waymo to Verizon and now operates in Europe as well as North America. From 2014 to 2022, Klein was a Venture Partner at Fontinalis Partners in Detroit. [23] He has advised and angel invested in several startups, including electric scooter company Spin (acquired by Ford), Actionfigure, Miles, and Ouster.
Gabe Klein with David Vega Barachowitz Start-Up City: Inspiring Private and Public Entrepreneurship, Getting Projects Done, and Having Fun Island Press (2015) ISBN 9781610916905
Smart growth is an urban planning and transportation theory that concentrates growth in compact walkable urban centers to avoid sprawl. It also advocates compact, transit-oriented, walkable, bicycle-friendly land use, including neighborhood schools, complete streets, and mixed-use development with a range of housing choices. The term "smart growth" is particularly used in North America. In Europe and particularly the UK, the terms "compact city", "urban densification" or "urban intensification" have often been used to describe similar concepts, which have influenced government planning policies in the UK, the Netherlands and several other European countries.
The California Air Resources Board is an agency of the government of California that aims to reduce air pollution. Established in 1967 when then-governor Ronald Reagan signed the Mulford-Carrell Act, combining the Bureau of Air Sanitation and the Motor Vehicle Pollution Control Board, CARB is a department within the cabinet-level California Environmental Protection Agency.
Sustainable transport refers to ways of transportation that are sustainable in terms of their social and environmental impacts. Components for evaluating sustainability include the particular vehicles used for road, water or air transport; the source of energy; and the infrastructure used to accommodate the transport. Transport operations and logistics as well as transit-oriented development are also involved in evaluation. Transportation sustainability is largely being measured by transportation system effectiveness and efficiency as well as the environmental and climate impacts of the system. Transport systems have significant impacts on the environment, accounting for between 20% and 25% of world energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions. The majority of the emissions, almost 97%, came from direct burning of fossil fuels. In 2019, about 95% of the fuel came from fossil sources. The main source of greenhouse gas emissions in the European Union is transportation. In 2019 it contributes to about 31% of global emissions and 24% of emissions in the EU. In addition, up to the COVID-19 pandemic, emissions have only increased in this one sector. Greenhouse gas emissions from transport are increasing at a faster rate than any other energy using sector. Road transport is also a major contributor to local air pollution and smog.
Zipcar is an American car-sharing company and a subsidiary of Avis Budget Group. Zipcar provides vehicle reservations to its members, billable by the minute, hour or day; members may have to pay a monthly or annual membership fee in addition to car reservations charges. Gas, maintenance, insurance options, and a dedicated parking spot are included. Zipcar was founded in 2000 by Antje Danielson and Robin Chase.
The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency is an agency created by consolidation of the San Francisco Municipal Railway (Muni), the Department of Parking and Traffic (DPT), and the Taxicab Commission. The agency oversees public transport, taxis, bicycle infrastructure, pedestrian infrastructure, and paratransit for the City and County of San Francisco.
Washington, D.C. has a number of different modes of transportation available for use. Commuters have a major influence on travel patterns, with only 28% of people employed in Washington, D.C. commuting from within the city, whereas 33.5% commute from the nearby Maryland suburbs, 22.7% from Northern Virginia, and the rest from Washington, D.C.'s outlying suburbs.
California's transportation system is complex and dynamic. Although known for its car culture and extensive network of freeways and roads, the state also has a vast array of rail, sea, and air transport. Several subway, light rail, and commuter rail networks are found in many of the state's largest population centers. In addition, with the state's location on the West Coast of the United States, several important ports in California handle freight shipments from the Pacific Rim and beyond. A number of airports are also spread out across the state, ranging from small general aviation airports to large international hubs like Los Angeles International Airport and San Francisco International Airport.
The United States produced 5.2 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in 2020, the second largest in the world after greenhouse gas emissions by China and among the countries with the highest greenhouse gas emissions per person. In 2019 China is estimated to have emitted 27% of world GHG, followed by the United States with 11%, then India with 6.6%. In total the United States has emitted a quarter of world GHG, more than any other country. Annual emissions are over 15 tons per person and, amongst the top eight emitters, is the highest country by greenhouse gas emissions per person.
The Clean Cities Coalition Network is a coordinated group of nearly 100 coalitions in the United States working in communities across the country to advance affordable, domestic transportation fuels, energy-efficient mobility systems, and other fuel-saving technologies and practices.
The DC Streetcar is a surface streetcar network in Washington, D.C. that consists of a single line running 2.2 miles (3.5 km) in mixed traffic along H Street and Benning Road in the city's Northeast quadrant.
Active mobility, soft mobility, active travel, active transport or active transportation is the transport of people or goods, through non-motorized means, based around human physical activity. The best-known forms of active mobility are walking and cycling, though other modes include running, rowing, skateboarding, kick scooters and roller skates. Due to its prevalence, cycling is sometimes considered separately from the other forms of active mobility.
Shared transport or shared mobility is a transportation system where travelers share a vehicle either simultaneously as a group or over time as personal rental, and in the process share the cost of the journey. It is a transportation strategy that allows users to access transportation services on an as-needed basis, and can be regarded as a hybrid between private vehicle use and mass or public transport. Shared mobility is an umbrella term that encompasses a variety of transportation modes including carsharing, Bicycle-sharing systems, ridesharing companies, carpools, and microtransit.
The District Department of Transportation is an agency of the government of the District of Columbia, in the United States, which manages and maintains publicly owned transportation infrastructure in the District of Columbia. DDOT is the lead agency with authority over the planning, design, construction, and maintenance of alleys, bridges, sidewalks, streets, street lights, and traffic signals in the District of Columbia.
Public transport is a system of transport for passengers by group travel systems available for use by the general public unlike private transport, typically managed on a schedule, operated on established routes, and that may charge a posted fee for each trip. There is no rigid definition of which kinds of transport are included, and air travel is often not thought of when discussing public transport—dictionaries use wording like "buses, trains, etc." Examples of public transport include city buses, trolleybuses, trams and passenger trains, rapid transit and ferries. Public transport between cities is dominated by airlines, coaches, and intercity rail. High-speed rail networks are being developed in many parts of the world.
Capital Bikeshare is a bicycle-sharing system that serves Washington, D.C., and certain counties of the larger metropolitan area. As of January 2023, it had 700+ stations and more than 5,400 bicycles. The member jurisdictions own most of the equipment and have sourced operations to contractor Motivate International. Opened in September 2010, the system was the largest bike sharing service in the United States until New York City's Citi Bike began operations in May 2013.
SmartBike DC was a bicycle sharing system implemented in August 2008 with 120 bicycles and 10 automated rental locations in the central business district of Washington, D.C. The network was the first of its kind in North America, but was replaced by the much larger, publicly funded Capital Bikeshare system in the fall of 2010. SmartBike DC officially ceased operations in January 2011.
Michael Replogle is an internationally recognized expert and advisor in the field of sustainable transport. He co-founded the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP) in 1985, a nonprofit organization that promotes environmentally sustainable and equitable transportation projects and policies worldwide, as well as Bikes Not Bombs in 1984. He was the president of ITDP from 1985–1992 and 1998-2009, and managing director of ITDP from 2009-2015. His seminal 1987 paper on sustainable transport was the first to define the term. In 2024, his expert testimony led to a pathbreaking settlement of a lawsuit between Hawai'i Department of Transportation and 13 youth plaintiffs, represented by Our Children's Trust and Earthjustice, for a statewide plan to decarbonize transportation by 2045, achieving a 50% reduction by 2030, with 5-year targets and annual reporting.
The H Street/Benning Road Line is a currently operating line of DC Streetcar. It has eight stations and began operation on February 27, 2016. The 2.4-mile (3.9 km) line runs along H Street NE and Benning Road NE in Washington, D.C. In September 2016 service was increased from six days a week to seven, and with shorter 12-minute headways.
The San Bernardino County Transportation Authority (SBCTA) is the successor to San Bernardino Associated Governments (SANBAG). They are responsible for administering the Measure I half-cent tax which voters in San Bernardino County, California, passed most recently in 2004. The SBCTA conducts transportation planning, construction, and operation in San Bernardino County. The SBCTA is a joint powers authority comprising the entire county and its cities. Every city and county supervisor is provided one seat on the board, and it also includes a nonvoting member from the California Department of Transportation's (Caltrans) District 8.
GreenPower Motor Company Inc. is a Canadian electric bus manufacturer and distributor in North America. The company fabricates multiple zero-emission models, including transit buses, school buses, and double decker buses. GreenPower headquarters are in Vancouver, British Columbia, with a sales office in Rancho Cucamonga, California; an assembly facility in Porterville, California; and a production facility in South Charleston, West Virginia. Its stock is traded on Nasdaq the United States.