Rebekah Scheinfeld was appointed Commissioner of CDOT by Mayor Rahm Emanuel in January 2014 and directed to continue the critical work of making sure Chicago has a strong, vibrant, accessible transportation network that provides a foundation for a thriving economy in the 21st Century.
An attorney, with broad experience in urban development issues, Rebekah oversees a department responsible for Chicago’s roadways, bridges, traffic signals and signage, streetlights, including the Chicago Smart Lighting Program, and the Divvy bike share system, as well permitting construction in the public right-of-way.
She has spearheaded many of the Emanuel Administration’s key transportation initiatives, including the Building a New Chicago program, the Vision Zero Chicago traffic safety plan, the 606 Trail, the Loop Link, the Union Station Transit Center, new CTA elevated stations at Washington-Wabash and Cermak Road, the Riverwalk, the Navy Pier Flyover and new pedestrian and bike bridges on the South Side over Lake Shore Drive at 35th and 41st Streets. She is also leading the transportation planning process for improvements needed for the Obama Presidential Center in Jackson Park.
Rebekah was previously the Chief Planning Officer and a Senior Vice President at the CTA, where she handled the CTA’s strategic planning for major capital projects and new transit service. She is an attorney, having worked previously at Mayer Brown, representing public and private sector clients on major infrastructure and transportation projects.
Scheinfeld has a BA in Urban Studies from Brown University and both her JD and MBA from Northwestern University.