Job at a Glance

• Job Category: Transportation Planning
• Job Level: Mid I (1-4 years)
• Salary Range: $45,286-$66,406 DOQ
• AICP Certification: Not Required

Job Description

• Transportation Planner II (Grade 6): $45,286-$60,369
• Transportation Planner III (Grade 7): $49,814-$66,406

POSITION SPECIFICATIONS:

The Department of Transportation Planning of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments is seeking a Planner II or III for the Program Coordination Team. The Program Coordination Team supports the National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board (TPB), the federally designated metropolitan planning organization (MPO) for the Washington, D.C. region. The TPB plays an important role as the regional forum for transportation planning in the National Capital region, and prepares plans and programs that the federal government must approve in order for federal-aid transportation funds to flow to the Washington region. The successful candidate will perform professional level planning activities on a wide range of activities, such as:

(1) Support the development, analysis and documentation of the Financially Constrained Long Range Transportation Plan (CLRP) which could include:

• Updating regional maps showing the major projects in the CLRP;
• Analyzing travel demand data to describe the performance of the plan and creating clear and concise charts and graphics;
• Writing content for websites, brochures and reports; and
• Providing website support for on-line public comment periods.

(2) Assist with regional transportation and land use scenario planning which could include:

• Analyzing additional scenarios with travel demand output data, developing high-level maps and graphics, and writing reports and website content; and
• Conducting cost-benefit analysis of additional transportation and land use scenarios.

(3) Support the environmental consultation and mitigation efforts, which could include:

• Assisting with efforts to meet federal requirements for environmental consultation on the development of the Financially Constrained Long Range Transportation Plan (CLRP) with environmental resource agencies which includes research, data collection, mapping of natural resources and transportation projects and getting feedback from environmental agencies;
• Researching climate change and adaptation issues for MPOs; and
• Assisting with expanded environmental consultation activities such as helping form a task force to better coordinate transportation and environmental planning and the research for and creation of a toolkit on advanced mitigation;

(4) Provide staff support to the other TPB activities and committees as needed, such as:

• Quarterly meetings of the TPB Regional Taxicab Regulators Task Force and the Access for All Advisory Committee;
• Assisting with the monthly TPB electronic mail-out;
• Developing regional transportation grant applications; and
• Promoting regional bike sharing.

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:

Requires (1) knowledge in the principles and practices of metropolitan transportation; knowledge in environmental planning or science a plus; (2) strong software skills in Microsoft Office programs (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), ArcGIS, and the Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, InDesign, Dreamweaver, Photoshop); experience with travel demand modeling software and Microsoft Access a plus, (3) strong analytical and writing skills; presentation skills a plus; and (4) ability to maintain effective working relationships with other employees, elected officials and the public.

Transportation Planner II: Requires a master’s degree in urban planning, environmental or natural science, public administration, or an appropriate related field and two years’ of working experience in planning or a related field. Any equivalent combination of experience and training which provides the required knowledge, analytical and writing skills, and abilities will be considered.

Transportation Planner III: Requires at least three years’ working experience in planning or related field, and master’s degree in urban planning, environmental or natural science, public administration, or an appropriate related field. Any equivalent combination of experience and training which provides the required knowledge, analytical and writing skills, and abilities will be considered.

Contact Information

Phone 202-962-3200
Fax 202-962-3715
Email resumes@mwcog.org
Website www.mwcog.org
Postal Address Human Resources – MWCOG
777 North Capitol Street
Suite 300
Washington, DC 20002

Full Time Regular Positions

• DTP-1101 Transportation Planner II or III
• DTP-1034 Transportation Planner II or III

Internships

• IDTP-1035 Transportaton Planning Intern

About MWCOG:  COG is a regional organization of Washington area local governments. COG is comprised of 21 local governments surrounding our nation’s capital, plus area members of the Maryland and Virginia legislatures, the U.S. Senate, and the U.S. House of Representatives.

COG provides a focus for action and develops sound regional responses to such issues as the environment, affordable housing, economic development, health and family concerns, human services, population growth, public safety, and transportation. (Click here to learn more about MWCOG)

About COG’s TPB:  The National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board (TPB) is the federally designated Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for the region, and plays an important role as the regional forum for transportation planning. The TPB prepares plans and programs that the federal government must approve in order for federal-aid transportation funds to flow to the Washington region. (Click here to learn more about the TPB and its role in shaping the region’s transportation)

Editor’s Note: Good luck.

Transportation Systems Engineer – IBI Group is currently recruiting an Engineer in Alexandria, VA office. Contact – Kristen McLean at kristen.mclain@ibigroup.com

This role would suit a graduate from a Masters Degree program in Systems Engineering, Computer Science/Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Civil Engineering or Transportation Engineering. Some experience or project/thesis work in intelligent transportation systems, public transportation operations, road user charging or highway operations is desirable.

The successful candidate will demonstrate excellent analytical and technical capabilities, strong written and verbal communications skills combined with solid work ethic and a progressive professional approach to all tasks with the main goal of complementing existing IBI Group professionals and meeting corporate objectives.

Responsibilities:
Below are some examples of what the Transportation Systems Engineer could be responsible for on a daily basis.

Systems:
• Assisting transportation clients in reviewing systems and technologies and selecting those that meet their requirements.
• Reviewing data and developing analytical reports.
• Testing and reviewing roadway and transit systems.
• Application of the systems engineering process, including development of user requirements, software functional design, system and hardware specification, and system verification and testing

Qualifications:
The successful candidate will have:

• Masters in Systems Engineering, Computer Science/Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or Transportation Engineering with some exposure to transportation systems is ideal;
• Experience with software development is beneficial;
• Ability to conduct data analysis using spreadsheet programs with macros and database software;
• Communications skills: specification and report writing, making client and public presentations, conducting client meetings;
• Possess excellent written/oral communication skills along with a good understanding of key management concepts;
• Be highly observant and detail oriented and comfortable in a high-volume, data management environment;
• Have the ability to multitask and to prioritize assigned tasks;

Note: IBI Group is also looking for a Transportation Systems Engineer on a full-time, permanent basis to work out of their Calgary (Canada) office. Contact – Kristen McLean at kristen.mclain@ibigroup.com

Foursquare Integrated Transportation Planning (Foursquare ITP) is in the process of gathering resumes of qualified individuals for job openings over the next few months. Foursquare ITP is looking for qualified Transportation planners and Project managers to assist and lead project teams on a variety ofprojects for state and local governments.

Education and Work Experience Requirements:

Foursquare ITP is looking for Transportation Planners with a Bachelor’s degree in planning,transportation engineering or similar and five or more years of experience, or with a Master’s degree inone of these fields and two or more years of experience. The selected transportation planner(s) willwork 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, mainly for state and localgovernments.

Foursquare ITP is also looking for senior transportation planners who can serve as Project Managers. In addition to the requirements for the Transportation Planner position, the SeniorTransportation Planner/Project Manager must have experience in project management, includingmanaging staff. He or she should an additional five years of experience beyond the requirements of theTransportation Planner position.

Technical Experience:

Both the Transportation Planner and Project Manager position applicants should have experience in avariety of the following areas: FTA grants administration; ArcGIS mapping; corridor-level planning,regional transportation planning; transit development plans; long and short rage transportation plans;transportation demand management (TDM); Environmental Impact Statements/EnvironmentalAssessments; Land Use and Economic Development; and Strategic Planning. Excellent oral and writtencommunication skills are essential, as is proficiency in Microsoft Office 2007.

Because Foursquare ITP is a small, young business, the successful applicant will be a motivated self-starter who can work well in a virtual environment. He or she must also be flexible to meet client demands and a dynamic workflow. While the selected employees will be able to work out of their homes at least in the short-term, due to internal and external meeting requirements all qualified applicants must live in or be willing to move to the Washington DC metropolitan area.

About the Firm

Foursquare Integrated Transportation Planning is a boutique transportation planning, design and policy analysis firm based in Rockville, Maryland. As a small firm, we are able to give our clients thepersonalized focus that they seek and deserve. Foursquare ITP focuses on projects that relate tosustainable transportation, mainly focused on public transit. We offer our clients expertise in regional transportation planning and coordination, public transit planning, strategic planning, and transportationdemand management. Foursquare ITP’s focus areas include stakeholder, inter- and intra-agencycoordination; transportation needs assessment; transit development plans; transit operations; strategicplanning, and short- and long-range transportation plan development.

Please send resumes or questions about the positions to Lora Byala at lbyala@foursquareitp.com.

(Cross posted on The Young Professionals in Transportation Blog)

Click the image to access the report

AASHTO released its latest report, Unlocking Freight, at a national news conference in Des Moines, Iowa, and at two regional news conferences in Tennessee and Pennsylvania on July 8th. The report includes new data, state examples of urgent capacity needs, and solutions to solve the pending transportation crisis in America’s freight system.  The reports shows that investments are well below what are needed to maintain – much less improve – the movement of freight in this country.  As a result, according to this report released, the transportation system that supports the movement of freight across America is facing a crisis.

The transportation system that supports the movement of freight across America is facing a crisis. Our highways, railroads, ports, and waterways require investment well beyond current levels to maintain – much less improve – their performance. Millions of jobs and our nation’s long-term economic health are at risk.

• Significantly more freight will be moved across the country and around the world in the 21st century.
• The current capacity of our nation’s roads, rails and seaports is not keeping pace with demand.
• The nation’s freight transportation system directly affects economic development, current and future jobs, and the quality of life in our communities.
• Greater investment, better planning and more highway and rail capacity are needed to address these problems.
  – Expand the capacity of the Interstate Highway System.
  – Create and fund a national freight program that could include multi-state freight corridor organizations at the state, regional, and multi-state level.
  – Invest in Intermodal Connector Improvements.

In 10 years, an additional 1.8 million trucks will be on the road; in 20 years, for every two trucks today, another one will be added. Already bottlenecks on major highways used by truckers every day are adding millions of dollars to the cost of food, goods, and manufacturing equipment for American consumers.

Unlocking Freight finds our highways, railroads, ports, waterways, and airports require investments well beyond current levels to maintain – much less improve – their performance. The report identifies key projects in 30 states that would improve freight delivery and dependability, and offers a three-point plan to address what is needed to relieve freight congestion, generate jobs and improve productivity.

Despite more long-distance freight being moved by intermodal rail, the report finds that trucks will still carry 74 percent of the load. On average, 10,500 trucks a day travel some segments of the Interstate Highway System today. By 2035, this will increase to 22,700 commercial trucks for these portions of the Interstate, with the most heavily used segments seeing upwards of 50,000 trucks a day. Yet between 1980 and 2006, traffic on the Interstate Highway System increased by 150 percent while Interstate capacity increased by only 15 percent. The report identifies the 1,000 miles of most heavily traveled highways used by trucks.

Each year, 147 million tons of freight pass through Tennessee by way of trucks, rail cars and barges. Nearly half of Tennessee’s Gross Domestic Product comes from the movement of goods and more than half of the statewide employment is in goods-dependent industries. The segment of I-40 through Tennessee and Arkansas alone accounts for nearly one-third of the nation’s busiest truck miles.

A current strain on the movement of freight in the Tri-State region is the lack of vehicular and rail crossings along the Mississippi River, according to Nicely. Tennessee, Mississippi and Arkansas are currently working to develop a third Mississippi River bridge crossing – dubbed the Southern Gateway Project. Environmental studies on the project are now underway and include consideration of a multi-use bridge that would include both vehicle and rail access.

Unlocking Freight is the second in a series of reports generated by AASHTO to identify the need to increase capacity in our transportation system. For more information and to see state examples of freight capacity needs, go tohttp://expandingcapacity.transportation.org.

To view the first report in the series, Unlocking Gridlock, go to http://expandingcapacity.transportation.org.

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• Transportation officials in Memphis says nation needs 60,000 new miles of highway lanes (commercialappeal.com)
• 21 reviews of interstate highway system (rateitall.com)

Click the IBM banner below to learn more about the opportunity:

Please RSVP to transprt@us.ibm.com

When: Thursday, February 25, 2010

Time: 9:00 – 11:45 a.m.

Where: The Rayburn House Office Building, Room B-318, Washington, DC 20005

The rising trends of globalization, urbanization and exponential population growth are applying pressure on our already stressed transportation networks. Leaders of public and commercial transportation systems face daunting challenges including predicting demand, optimizing capacity, improving the traveler’s experience, and maximizing efficiency – all while reducing environmental impact and continuing to assure safety and security. Fortunately, new approaches and technologies are delivering solutions to meet these challenges.

The need for progress is clear. There are now more than 475 urban areas with more than 1 million people residing in them. That’s an increase of 573% from 1950 when there were only 83. That translates into more than half the world’s population now living in urban areas. Transportation congestion continues to grow, wasting time and money while creating more pollution. Most of the developed world’s transportation infrastructures were designed decades ago and reflect the available technology, population and requirements at that time. Simply, the infrastructure responsible for moving the world’s people and things is inadequate.

Meanwhile, transportation investment remains a hot topic in Washington due to federal stimulus funding and new surface transportation legislation that Congress is working to pass.

Please join IBM on Thursday, February 25, 2010, for an exclusive forum in Washington D.C. which will bring together policy makers, transportation companies, metro planners and academics to discuss the future of transportation and how new innovations and investments can bring about speedier and greener passenger travel.

Hosted at the Rayburn House Office Building in Washington D.C., the forum will examine society’s need for updated transportation infrastructures– using technology to predict travel times, manage capacity and promote safer transport. Prominent transportation leaders from government and industry will discuss powerful strategies and solutions to dramatically improve our transportation systems.

Participants will include Congressman Earl Blumenaur from Oregon, Dr. Robert Bertini, Deputy Administrator, US DOT’s Research and Innovative Technology Administration. Janet Kavinocky from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Judge Quentin Kopp, former Chairman of California High Speed Rail Authority, and other distinguished guests.

We value your perspectives and insights on this important topic and look forward to your participation in this collaborative event. Further details will be provided upon your response.

RSVP: transprt@us.ibm.com

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• IBM opens center in Washington (ecombizcenter.blogspot.com)

Tuesday, February 23rd

1:00 to 2:30 PM EST

Please join us for a free Webinar hosted by the National Transportation Operations Coalition on Tuesday, February 23rd from 1:00 to 2:30 PM EST. Click on the URL below to register.

Integrating operations into a metropolitan transportation plan can lead to important improvements that customers care about: increased efficiency, reliability, safety, security, travel options, and more. The Federal Highway Administration and Federal Transit Administration have developed a desk reference that can help metropolitan planning organizations and their planning partners meet the challenge of integrating operations into the plan and realize the benefits. The desk reference assists planners and operators in using specific operations objectives and performance measures to plan for operations. It contains an extensive menu of operations objectives and performance measures that planners and operators can draw from for their own plans. Excerpts from a sample plan illustrate the integration of operations into a plan.

This seminar will offer a preview of this new tool. Audiences will have an opportunity to hear how two MPOs are using an objectives-driven, performance-based approach to plan for operations and the desk reference. This is the second in a series of two Talking Operations Webinars on the objectives-driven, performance-based approach. Tune in to hear about the experiences of two more metropolitan planning organizations.

The speakers will be:

• Richard Backlund, FHWA Office of Operations, Egan Smith, FHWA Office of Planning, and John Sprowls, FTA Office of Planning
• Deena Platman, Principal Transportation Planner, Metro, Portland, Oregon
• Lance Wilber, Central Region Director, Alaska Department of Transportation and former Municipality of Anchorage Traffic Director.

To Register, Click this URL: https://www.nhi.fhwa.dot.gov/resources/webconference/web_conf_learner_reg.aspx?webconfid=19485

Transit Oriented Development Panel

Hosted by Womens Transportation Seminar (WTS), Washington DC Chpater

September 15, 2009

This panel will focus on recent and anticipated changes in national and state-level legislation and policies that facilitate stronger transportation-land use coordination in the planning process, with a focus on encouraging transit oriented development.

Featured Speakers:

Amy Inman,  Senior Planner, Department of Rail and Public Transportation

Christopher Patusky, Director, Office of Real Estate, Maryland Department of Transportation

Mariia Zimmerman, Vice President for Policy, Reconnecting America

Serving as Moderator for the Panel:

Susan Borinsky, FTA Associate Administrator for Planning and the Environment

WHEN:

WHERE:

METRO:

PROGRAM FEES:

$30 WTS Members ; $60 Non-Members; $15 Students

RSVP:

We urge you to RSVP now and reserve your seat.* Seating is limited, and priority will be given to WTS members.