Foursquare Integrated Transportation Planning (Foursquare ITP – www.foursquareitp.com) has four job openings (scroll below for details on each position advertised):

• Transportation Planner – 3-5 years of experience
• Environmental/Transportation Planner – 5-7+ years of experience
• Transit Service Planner – 7+ years of experience
• Administrative/Marketing Professional – 5+ years of experience

Foursquare ITP is looking for qualified candidates to contribute to, assist, lead, and/or manage teams on a diverse array of transportation projects for state and local governments, federal agencies, transit agencies, and regional agencies. Foursquare ITP is a transportation planning firm based in Rockville, Maryland. As a small firm we are able to give our clients the personalized focus that they seek and deserve. We offer our clients expertise in regional transportation planning and coordination, public transit planning, strategic planning, and transportation demand management. For an overview of the types of projects that Foursquare ITP works on, please visit www.foursquareitp.com.

The selected candidates will work as part of a team and will be responsible for research, analysis, report development, field work and meeting participation on a wide variety of transportation projects. The selected candidates will be involved in a wide array of projects, including transit development plans, transportation needs assessments, station area plans, transit route planning, financial planning, transit performance monitoring, and federal grant management. The positions will require research and data analysis utilizing a variety of sources, including transit ridership data, Census, socioeconomic, land use, survey data, and existing plan information.

In addition to having the appropriate technical skills, the successful candidates will be smart, motivated, self-starters who are passionate about transit and transportation planning. The candidates must also be flexible in meeting client demands and operating within a dynamic workflow.

Qualifications

Transportation Positions: Any position at Foursquare ITP requires excellent communication skills, both written and oral. Topical area expertise is required in one or more of the following: transit planning; transit program implementation; corridor-level transit planning; regional transportation planning; transit development plans; federal transit grant management; transportation demand management (TDM); Environmental Impact Statements/Environmental Assessments; land use and economic development analysis; and strategic planning. A strong working knowledge of the Washington Metropolitan area is desired.

• Transportation Planner – Must have three to five years of experience in the field; a Master’s degree in transportation planning, urban planning or similar may be used to substitute for two years of experience.
• Environmental/Transportation Planner – Must have at least five years of experience in the field with extensive experience in conducting NEPA documentation for transit projects, specifically EIS, EA and documented CE. While this position will initially focus largely on environmental planning, the successful candidate will have a wider range of transportation planning experience and interests. Depending on the level of experience of the successful applicant, this position may also be a project manager position. Appropriate educational background is also required, including preferably a Master’s degree in transportation or environmental planning, urban planning, or similar.
• Transit Service Planner –  Must have at least seven years of experience conducting service and operations plans for transit agencies of all sizes and in a variety of environments.

Administrative/Marketing Position – The selected candidate will be responsible for a variety of administrative and marketing duties, including: coordinating and formatting proposals; updating company website; assisting with invoice preparation and review; serving as an executive assistant to the President and other senior staff – assisting with travel arrangements, meeting arrangements, and other duties; and other administrative and marketing duties.

• Administrative/Marketing Professional – Must have at least five years of experience conducting similar work in a private sector organization that deals primarily with public-sector clients. The selected candidate must be a self-starter with attention to detail and be comfortable working on multiple tasks at once in a dynamic, fast-paced environment. The position requires excellent communication skills, both written and oral. Experience with Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Adobe InDesign are required.

Applications (résumés and cover letters) will be accepted through Friday November 1, 2013 to resumes@foursquareitp.com.

When applying, please mention you saw this opening listed at Transportgooru.com. 

Job Title: Planner II

Closing Date/Time: Mon. 10/21/13 5:00 PM Pacific Time

Salary: $4,223.25 – $6,015.00 Monthly ($50,679.00 – $72,180.00 Annually)

Job Type: Non-Union Regular Full-Time

Location: 710 NE Holladay, Portland, Oregon

Responsibilities
Provide planning programming and implementation support associated with TriMet’s service capital planning and scheduling programs. Conduct research and technical analysis, field investigation and documentation. Lead internal and external projects with stakeholders.

Provide coordination between TriMet and government agencies and participation in programs, plans and projects. Understand and reflect in all planning and conceptual design efforts the safety and operational needs of TriMet services.

Ensure a commitment to safety through consistent and professional behaviors in performance of job requirements that demonstrate safety is a fundamental value that guides all aspects of our work. Perform related work as required.

Essential Functions:

1. Assist in the conception, development and implementation of a variety of transit service planning projects and activities; work with jurisdictional representatives in developing and implementing plans and projects consistent with departmental objectives. Perform related research, data collection and analysis.

2. Provide support and analysis for service planning and scheduling, especially annual service plan, quarterly service changes and new service development.

3. Under general supervision, develop and manage project contracts and grants. Assign work to contractors, monitor contractor performance, document deficiencies in performance, communicate with the contractor and assure contract compliance with contract specifications.

4. Support TriMet capital, service policy and agency planning with proactive project management including the public, stakeholders and other jurisdictions.

5. Perform analysis, prepare documentation, formulate solutions to operations problems and write reports as assigned.

6. Stay abreast of new techniques in transportation planning, project management and computerized technical analysis.

7. Work with citizens, interest groups and representatives from other governmental agencies on transit planning projects.

8. Prepare draft transit plans and programs for implementation.

9. Conduct analysis and tasks to support new capital projects, service planning and jurisdictional planning and coordination activities.

10. Prepare maps and other analysis and presentation documentation, using GIS, Excel, and other computer-based tools.

Position Requirements:

Bachelor’s degree in City or Urban Planning, Engineering, Business, Systems Analysis, Public Administration or a related field.

Two years of experience in Planning or a similar field. Related work experience in transportation planning and operations may substitute for education requirement on a year-to-year basis.

Or any equivalent combination of experience and training.

Selection Criteria:

1. Knowledge of principles and practices of transit, planning principles, operations and analysis.

2. Knowledge of project planning management techniques.

3. Intermediate skills with Word, Excel, Outlook, Access, database applications and other software applications. Project management, graphics, GIS application experience desirable. Demonstrated proficiency to accurately keyboard (type).

3. Ability to communicate effectively in oral, written and graphic form.

4. Ability to lead tasks and manage consultants contracts on time and on budget.

5. Ability to prioritize work and effectively coordinate the work of others.

6. Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with employees, management and the general public, including those from culturally diverse backgrounds, the elderly, persons with disabilities and/or other vulnerable populations.

7. Ability to produce clear technical as well as public documents.

8. Ability to research a variety of data sources for analysis that leads to a conclusion, recommendation and/or report.

9. Ability to focus on essentials of tasks and produce focused and timely results.

10. Ability to work productively and cooperatively with divergent groups within and outside the agency.

Click here to learn more and apply

Reposted with permission from Cecile Felon at ABB Conversations

Image Courtesy: via ABB Conversations

Last week, a friend of mine said to me “Hey Cecile, we’re in 2013 and you don’t have a car!” So far I must say that people around me have made me feel unconventional, an outsider in a way. But surprisingly – at least for me – I’ve learned that I am actually one of a growing number of people who have decided to abandon car ownership and even driving. This is happening in the USA and in Europe…

How to explain in short that I don’t need a car?
Actually (historically) I’ve never owned a vehicle. OK, I got my licence at the age of 19 but being a student at that time, I could not afford to buy my own. On the other hand, I’ve always lived in cities where the public transport is easily available.

So what?
I’ve got the life style that goes along with my “no car situation”. Today my home is close to the bus, tram and rail lines. I commute every day to work. In the evening and at week-ends I enjoy my neighborhood as well as the city of Geneva. If I want to visit my family or friends living outside Geneva I rent a car, same for holiday road trips. I am also thinking of a car sharing option should I need one for few hours – this service is available just around the corner.

Does it sound familiar to you?
The European Mobility Week, which runs from 16 to 22 September every year, is the most widespread event inviting everybody to try out alternatives to car use. ABB is joining the movement. What about you?

About the author

Cecile Felon – Img. Courtesy: ABB Conversations

I’m the global communications manager for the rail business of ABB, based in Geneva, Switzerland. My focus is on innovative and energy-efficient technologies for sustainable rail and road public transportation. When not working, I enjoy the city of Geneva. I have a growing interest in dynamic and creative cities from around the world shaping the future of mobility.

In its 5th year, the North America Strategic Infrastructure Leadership Forum will present the top 50 infrastructure projects required for bringing the world back to growth and job-producing competitiveness. These projects offer tremendous business opportunities for financial, equipment and technology, engineering and construction firms as well as for the public sector. Projects presented include surface transportation, water and wastewater, new and traditional energy, urban mass transportation, oil & energy, ports & logistics and digital infrastructure.

Transportgooru is excited to be a media partner for this important event that brings together practitioners and policymakers engaged in the infrastructure conversations.  Hope I can get to meet some of you at this event. Here is what you get for registering:

• Short, clear, project presentations of the Top Infrastructure Projects
• Pre-scheduled private meetings with project presenters and event sponsors
• Topical workshops and round tables
• Multiple networking opportunities
• Participant contact information
• Cocktail opening reception

Dates: OCTOBER 29 – 31, 2013.

Location: MAYFLOWER RENAISSANCE HOTEL, WASHINGTON, DC

Registration:  Click here to learn more and to register for the event.

On The Telegraph’s website, you can check an awesome gallery of vintage cool photos from the London Underground, shot during the 1970s/80s.  The ones below  are a what struck me the most and it has a sense of class and crazy retro cool that is unmatched.

Transit systems and the people who rode them back in the day are always so nice to look at. It is like a glimpse of  the city’s colorful past, conveyed silently through the pictures of people who were on the trains. Makes it a bit more endearing knowing someone has put in some serious effort to document all this in an era when there were no smartphones with megapixel cameras and no Flickr accounts.

Click link above or the pic below to see the entire gallery.

Not wanting the party to end, a couple of ladies head home with their drinks. Image Courtesy: Bob Mazzer via The Telegraph

Some strange things happening below the surface – Image Courtesy: Bob Mazzer via The Telegraph

An awesome infograph from the George Washington University’s Face The Facts USA shows how the federal gas tax hasn’t changed in 20 years, effectively reducing road repair revenue by 35 percent. – Learn more here

Image Courtesy: Facethefactsusa.org

City of Key West Florida – Job Decription 4-13

The Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA) seeks one Transportation Specialist (GS-2101-13) to support the Transit Safety and Security Division at the Transportation Safety Institute (TSI).  RITA coordinates the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) research, training and data analysis programs and is charged with advancing rigorous analysis and fostering the deployment of cross-cutting technologies to improve our Nation’s transportation system.  TSI provides premier worldwide training, products, and services for people in the public and private sectors through innovative, state-of-the-art methods and technologies that contribute to the protection of life, property, and the environment.  The TSI training center is located in Oklahoma City, OK at the Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center (MMAC), a Federal Aviation Administration training and materials facility.  Visit www.tsi.dot.gov to learn more.  This position is located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

As a Transportation Specialist (Transit Rail), you will serve as a technical and policy advisor responsible for any required development, implementation, and instruction supporting Federal Transit Administration (FTA) in the establishment of a Public Transportation Safety Certification Training Program for Federal and State personnel.  S/he is responsible for serving as a nationally recognized expert on rail safety and security training.  As a recognized expert, s/he will regularly participate as a technical resource and advisor on technically complex and politically sensitive transit rail safety and security issues.

The ideal candidate is a recognized technical expert on transit rail safety and security, and has leadership and team building skills and techniques such as group facilitation, coordination, coaching, problem solving, and interpersonal communication.  The ideal candidate can integrate work processes and products, and obtain resources in liaison with the supervisor to lead project team members to meet program and production goals.  S/he must have the ability to use consensus building, negotiating, coalition building, and conflict resolution techniques to establish and maintain effective working relationships and to interact appropriately in highly charged emotional situations for the purpose of influencing managers or other officials to accept and implement findings and recommendations for justifying and resolving matters involving significant or controversial issues.  The incumbent will share expertise through publications and presentations in respected forums, knowledge sharing venues within appropriate DOT communities, and mentoring of technical staff.

This announcement is open to the general public and under merit promotion for current or former Federal employees and people eligible under special hiring authorities.  Please note that merit promotion announcements are the vehicle through which Federal employees generally apply for Federal positions.

Application deadline:  Friday, June 7, 2013

Merit Promotion Announcement

(RITA.TSI-2013-0007):  https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/344455400

Public Announcement

(RITA.TSI-2013-0008):  https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/344456100

Communities for Transit (“CFT”) is a newly formed non-profit organization dedicated to public eduation to cultivate and harness enthusiasm for transit and smart growth to build support for a planned rapid transit network in Montgomery County, Maryland. CFT will employ a range of strategies to catalyze support for making Montgomery County a national leader in using transit systems to transform “urbanizing” suburbs from congested, auto-centric neighborhoods into more environmentally and financially sustainable communities.

• Build and maintain CFT’s contact databases
• Develop content for CFT’s blog, fact sheets and social media accounts
• Catalog research and media regarding existing transit systems around the world
• Assist in new research projects relating to the proposed rapid transit network
• Create public education materials that are responsive to a wide variety of audiences and concerns
• Organize logistics and outreach around CFT’s public education events and community discussions
• Administer office and organizational functions as needed on a day-to-day basis
• Implement fundraising projects to sustain CFT’s efforts into the future

• Passion for transit, smart growth, planning, and/or environmental issues strongly preferred
• Excellent computer skills and experience with mass email communications, social media, and/or web development
• Ability to self-start and work independently in a fast-paced environment.
• Fast learner with attention to detail and ability to turn-around projects on quick timelines
• Strong writing and interpersonal skills; Comfort with public speakin
  Demonstrated comfort conducting public education campaigns, particularly for diverse communities, including youths, renters, immigrants, businesses, environmentalists, etc
• Experience working in a 501(c)(3) non-profit environment or other community-facing organization preferred