Meet Gabe Klein
who was appointed new director of Washington D.C.’s Department of
Transportation (DDOT) in December 2008.  With an interesting background
which includes four years working for Zipcar, Mr. Klein was brought in with the idea of looking at the job from a fresh perspective (check out: Potholepalooza!) and innovating solutions to many mobility problems D.C. faces.  Right off the bat, you’ll love a lot of what he has to say:

"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."

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