CHICAGO — Mayor Rahm Emanuel has chosen a CTA official to become the new commissioner of the Chicago Department of Transportation.
Emanuel appointed Rebekah Scheinfeld, currently a planning officer and senior vice president of the CTA, to take over for Gabe Klein as commissioner, the mayor said in a press release. Emanuel plans to submit her nomination to City Council for approval.
Emanuel touted Scheinfeld's role in the recent massive Red Line reconstruction, crediting her for leading efforts to renew the 95th Street Station, reconstruct the north section of the line and complete the southern extension. She also led endeavors for potential bus rapid transit corridors, according to the city.
"Rebekah will continue to build on our successful record and ensure that every Chicagoan has access to world-class transportation systems,” Emanuel said in the statement. “Her strong management and planning skills will bring a lot to the agency as it continues the critical work of making sure Chicago has a strong, vibrant, accessible transportation network.”
Scheinfeld is an attorney with a law degree and MBA from Northwestern University. She previously worked at the Mayer Brown law firm and represented clients in infrastructure and transportation, according to the city. She's also been employed by Eastlake Management & Development Corp. and the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation.
Klein announced his resignation in November after serving in the post for about 2-1/2 years. He presided over the creation of city's first bike-share system, Divvy, which is owned by the city and operated by a private company. He's also overseen the push for more speed cameras in the city.
Scheinfeld will begin as an interim commissioner in January, Emanuel said.
“I am grateful to Mayor Emanuel for the opportunity to serve as commissioner of CDOT, and I look forward to continuing to modernize and improve the city’s transportation systems,” Scheinfeld said.
