Raaaaaaaay!

That collective urbanist cry burst forth on the internet this morning when Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced he would not be staying on for Obama’s second term. In recent weeks, there was speculation that LaHood might remain in his post at the president’s urging, but it was not to be.

LaHood’s nomination in 2008 “caught greenies and urban-planning types off guard,” as Grist reported at the time, but he quickly won us over with vows to tear down elevated highways and stand up for cyclists, and with speeches like these: “[Americans] want out of their cars, they want out of congestion, they want to live in livable neighborhoods and livable communities … You’ve got a partner in Ray LaHood.”

So, who’ll take the helm at DOT next? The White House hasn’t said yet, but when Grist’s Lisa Hymas looked at Cabinet scuttlebutt a couple weeks back, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (D) seemed to be leading the pack with his green ways, despite hailing from a decidedly car-centric city.

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