bad for real estate."

That mindset turned him into something of a rarity: a DOT director who's known for focusing more on pedestrians, transit riders, and bicyclists than motorists.

Tapped by Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel in the spring of 2011, Klein previously led the Washington, D.C. transportation department from December 2008 to December 2010. During his short time in Chicago, Klein oversaw the launch of Divvy, a 300-station bike share program that dovetailed on the success he had with Capital Bikeshare in Washington, one of the biggest and most successful bike share programs in the country.

Under Klein, Chicago also got its first protected bike lanes, began construction of the Bloomingdale Trail, started work developing bus rapid transit, and launched speed cameras for traffic enforcement in school zones.

His departure comes atthe same time as Janette Sadik-Khan, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s transportation commissioner, who will likely exit when a new mayor takes office in January. She is also a transportation commissioner who lacked the traditional focus on automobiles.

Though she has a different background from Klein, with more experience in government, she has also focused on bicycles and pedestrians. She generated national attention for installing hundreds of miles of bike lanes and blocking off parts of city streets -- including Broadway -- to turn into pedestrian plazas. The move infuriated some drivers but endeared her to others.

Klein and Sadik-Khan have achieved iconic status among advocates for bicycling and transit, and their near-simultaneous departures are causing many to take stock of their legacy. Aaron Naparstek, a visiting scholar at