Click here to apply

via WSJ

And an interesting infograph accompanying the WSJ article that succinctly captures the details of this street fight:

Image Courtesy: WSJ

Smart Growth America seeks a Communications and Policy Fellow to support LOCUS, a national network of smart growth real estate developers and investors. The Fellow will be a core member of the LOCUS team and provide direct support to the LOCUS network of real estate developers and investors advocating for smart growth policies at the federal and regional levels.

Responsibilities
The Communications and Policy Fellow’s primary responsibilities include:

• Aggregating news about smart growth and real estate issues;
• Assist in planning, writing and managing monthly Newsletter;
• Update the LOCUS website, as needed;
• Contributing to LOCUS’ social media presence;
• Tracking social media and web analytics;
• Writing original content for our blog;
• Drafting legislative summaries for network members, drafting advocacy materials on core network issues;
• Design flyers, graphics, e-vites and other marketing material for major events hosted by LOCUS;
• Assisting with outreach to reporters and bloggers; and
• Providing communications support for our LOCUS members

The LOCUS Fellowship requires a self-motivated, detail-oriented person with exceptional writing, oral communication, and organizational skills and the ability to work independently with minimal supervision.

Candidates should have a strong interest in real estate, smart growth, economic development, transportation, community growth or related areas. Candidates should have at least a bachelor’s degree and either educational background or work experience in real estate, housing policy, transportation policy, urban planning, finance, public policy, business, or a related field.

In addition, the Communications Fellow should have a basic understanding of HTML; proficiency using content management systems; solid understanding of social media for organizations; and interest in contributing to communications strategy. Knowledge of Photoshop and leading new media strategies are a definite plus.

Candidates should be highly computer literate with experience in web content, and the Microsoft Office suite of programs (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)

This is a paid position.

Timeframe:

Fellowship is full-time, 40 hours a week. Minimum commitment of six months required. Potential to extend fellowship to 12 months is possible pending performance. Applications will be accepted immediately on a rolling basis until the position is filled.

Equal Opportunity Employment:

Equal opportunity and having a diverse staff are fundamental principles at Smart Growth America. Employment and promotional opportunities are based upon individual capabilities and qualifications without regard to race, color, religion, gender, pregnancy, sexual orientation/preference, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship, disability, veteran status or any other protected characteristic as established under law.

How to Apply:

Please send a resume, cover letter, and a short writing sample to mpierce [at] locusdevelopers [dot] org with “LOCUS Comms Fellow” in the subject line. Applications will be accepted immediately, on a rolling basis, until the position is filled.

Project Manager

Serve as Project Manager in the Transit Development Group within NYCDOT’s Division of Traffic and Planning. Manage key planning and implementation initiatives related to improving surface transit within New York City, including implementation of PlaNYC recommendations and the DOT strategic plan. Assist in the planning, design and implementation of Select Bus Service projects, as well as other transit priority and complete streets projects. Work closely with other DOT staff, with other City, State, and Federal agencies (particularly the MTA), and with the general public. Manage consultant work efforts and contracts, as well as capital grants. Create GIS maps, and perform other technical planning analysis. Work with community boards and other public stakeholders in public workshops, presentations, and other settings.

Outreach Coordinator

Serve as Outreach Coordinator in the Transit Development Group within NYCDOT’s Division of Traffic and Planning. Develop and execute plans for community outreach associated with Select Bus Service projects and other related initiatives. Organize community meetings, and serve as the point of liaison with community boards, elected officials, and other project stakeholders. Develop and manage contact lists for projects, and record and respond to community feedback. Prepare materials for online distribution, including regular updates of the Select Bus Service website and other Web 2.0 activities. Work closely with DOT External Affairs, Borough Commissioner offices, and NYCT Government and Community Relations as needed.

My favorite numbers guy, Nate Silver at FiveThirtyEight has poured over the census data and published an intriguing article that shows how the workforce in US cities begin its work day. I’ll share Nate’s findings through the graphs he published but I highly recommend that you read the full article over at his site . This insightful analysis will be definitely useful for transportation systems operators and managers.

Here are a few data nuggets from this analysis:

• New Yorkers are pretty relaxed and get to catch a few more winks  than many in the country. The median worker in the New York metropolitan area begins her workday at 8:24 a.m. 
• A quarter of the workforce in Atlantic City doesn’t begin its workday until 11:26 a.m. or after (understandably because the AC workforce is dependent on a recreational economy).
• The metro area with the earliest workday is Hinesville, Ga. The median worker there arrives at work at 7:01 a.m.

Let’s first see the US metro areas that are slow to roll

Source: FiveThirtyEight.com

Now let’s look at the those cities with the earliest median arrival times to work

Source: FiveThirtyEight.com Click Image to learn more.

And finally the Median arrival time in your local time zone

Source: fivethirtyeight.com. Click the image to learn more

Interesting, isn’t it? Go over to Fivethirtyeight.com to soak up the brilliant write-up from Nate.

MTA-NYCT is hiring a Principal Transportation Planner in the Operations Planning Division. Applications are due by May 5, 2014.

The position will be responsible for helping to plan long-term changes to the NYC bus route network.  The incumbent will develop and maintain a database of service and ridership information for planning purposes, prepare reports recommending new or restructured bus routes and services, including ridership projections, customer and operations impacts, and operating costs.  The position may also assist in the analysis and management of various long-range planning studies, such as Alternatives Analyses and Environmental Impact Statements and coordination with other NYCT departments, other MTA agencies, and external contacts.  The successful candidate is expected to do field work throughout New York City and to represent NYC Transit at public meeting, sometimes not during normal business hours.  A NYS driver’s license is required for this position.

Education & Experience:

Bachelors degree in Engineering, Urban Studies, Geography, Transportation Science, Urban Planning, Economics, Business, Public Administration, Political Science or related field and five years of full time paid experience in transportation operations planning, schedule or operations.

Desired Skills:

Excellent writing, communication and graphics presentation skills, proficiency in technical writing and data analysis are required.  Knowledge of the New York City Transit system and New York City are highly desirable.  Previous experience in transportation planning for a large, multimodal transit agency is highly desirable.  Knowledge of transportation planning software such as TransCad, ArcView, MapInfo and Auto-Turn.

Apply here or search listings at http://web.mta.info/mta/employment/employment_out.html

via YPTransportation

Related articles

• NYC Job Alert: NYCT Principal Transportation Planner
• Mta Plans To Reduce Subway Deaths 2013
• MTA announces enhanced weekend service on Manhattan, Queens bus routes
• MTA NYC Goes Digital

via NY Times

Awesome story of a man who spent an awful long time roaming the streets of New York City, driving a cab.. More here

MTA New York City Transit is the largest public transportation agency in North America and one of the largest in the world. The subway has a daily ridership of 5.4 million and an annual r

English: The New York City Transit Authority (MTA New York City Transit, a subsidiary of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority of NY) provides local bus, express bus, subway, bus rapid transit, and paratransit service in the City of New York. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

idership in 2012 of roughly 1.7 billion. If you wish to learn more about the inner working of the largest agency, and have fun while doing it, then you should apply for an opening for a full time Associate Staff Analyst position with the Capital Planning and Budget group at MTA New York City Transit. Check out the job description for more information on Qualifications and Selection Methodology.

The responsibilities include assisting in the preparation, planning, analysis and milestone review of NYC Transit’s multi-billion dollar, five-year capital program and evaluation of capital project proposals. The Analyst will support the economic cost-benefit analyses of selected capital projects and will participate in the preparation of the Twenty Year Needs Assessment as well as funding considerations within the five year capital program.

Interested candidates must apply by December 23, 2013 by going here and selecting Job ID # 77783.

Related articles

• NYC Job Alert: MTA New York City Transit – Associate Staff Analyst

TransitCenter seeks a dynamic Program Analyst to join its staff of two in its New York office. The successful candidate will be an integral member of a growing organization and assist in conducting research, developing and implementing programs and projects related to improving public transit, as well as building organizational capacity. Learn more about the organization, its mission and staff at http://www.transitcenter.org.

Responsibilities

As part of a small core team, the Program Analyst will research issues, develop opportunities, and execute projects for TransitCenter initiatives that promote sustainable urban mobility, with oversight from the Executive Director and Director of Research & Development. Some projects may be executed through the use of program consultants with specialized subject matter expertise.

The initial primary area of focus will be the field of transportation demand management, and in particular workplace-based programs that assist employers in shifting their employees to non-auto commuting practices. Though the workplace-based program is an initial focus, a successful candidate will have avid interest and versatility to work on other transit-related subjects as assigned and his/her portfolio will likely expand in the near future.

The Program Analyst will initially be responsible for developing options for TransitCenter in transportation demand management including the evaluation and promotion of workplace-based, employer-sponsored programs and the government programs that fund some of them. Once a useful summary of the existing state of the field is compiled, the Program Analyst will put forward options for potential roles TransitCenter could play, present them for consideration by senior management and the Board of Directors, and ultimately oversee implementation of programs.

The Program Analyst will also share responsibility for communicating TransitCenter’s initiatives through articles, blog posts, and social media.

TransitCenter is in effect a start-up so the Program Analyst will also be expected to play a hands-on role in operations and shoulder a portion of the organization’s administrative duties as assigned.

The position is based in New York City, out of the Center for Social Innovation in Chelsea. The salary range is $55-70,000 commensurate with experience, with a competitive benefits package.

Requirements

The successful candidate will have:

• Fundamental understanding of the principles underpinning sustainable urban mobility and an intuitive appreciation of the role that transportation plays in contributing to urban vitality. While technical knowledge of transportation can be a plus, it is not a requirement, and is secondary to natural curiosity and passion for the mission.
• Keen ability to scan developments in research or case studies, make connections across disciplines, and draw hypotheses and/or conclusions.
• Research capacity to build a case through solid evidence. General knowledge of common primary and secondary sources for issues related to urbanization and transportation.
• Excellent writing and presentation skills and a strategic communications mindset. Because our work intends to change or shift policy, design, practice, and culture, how something is communicated is nearly as important as what is being presented.
• Attention to detail and strong organizational skills will be useful in project implementation.
• A bachelor’s or master’s degree in a field related to urban planning, public policy, development, business, or economics; if his or her bachelor’s degree is in some other field, a master’s degree in one of these fields is required. Related work experience will also be considered to balance out the education profile.
• At least 2-4 years of professional experience in an organization related to urban planning and development, civic activism, transportation, the environment, and/or public policy.
• Technical facility with at least one of the following will be favorable: Adobe Creative Suite, GIS, social media, or web publishing.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, ability to form connections with people of diverse backgrounds, flexibility and a sense of humor to accommodate the organization as it evolves.

To apply:

Send a letter explaining your interest, a C.V., and one writing sample to dbragdon@transitcenter.org by 12:00 Noon on Wednesday, December 25, 2013.

TransitCenter is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, age, religion, gender, marital status, sexual orientation, disability, veteran status, political orientation or any other characteristic protected by federal state or local law.

NYC Mayor Mike Bloomberg’s twitter account shared this awesome infograph this afternoon, detailing the stats/numbers behind the Citibike Bikesharing Program as it completed its wildly successful 1st month.  At this rate, NYC can be assured that it is a smashing success and will remain a key part of the city’s transportation infrastructure for decades to come.  Check it out the infograph below (also check out the comments in the embedded tweet below)

Image Courtesy: twitter.com/mikebloomberg

Check out the one month report card for NYC’s latest transportation option: @CitiBikeNYC http://t.co/xQ851RT1Dc pic.twitter.com/UoKot3BMUg

— Mike Bloomberg (@MikeBloomberg) July 1, 2013

And someone just posted this “Rush hour”  pic. on twitter

New NYC Rush hour (via Instagram.com/gudphoto)