Job Alert: Graduate Internship – Northeast Corridor Commission @ DC, NYC, Philly

February 19, 2013 at 10:34 am

Submission Deadline: Friday, February 22, 2013 at 5pm.

Graduate Internship Opportunity

Northeast Corridor CommissionThe Northeast Corridor Commission seeks a graduate student to support all aspects of the Commission’s work. Working closely with a small team of highly motivated transportation professionals, the intern will have the opportunity to shape project work in coordination with Commission staff. The Commission is currently developing key reports on the current and future value of the NEC, while participating in the major short- and long-term planning efforts that will guide the development of the NEC. The intern will be responsible for policy research, transportation planning and analysis, report preparation, website content development, assistance with day-to-day office management and administration, and other tasks as assigned. Successful candidates will demonstrate a willingness to undertake unfamiliar initiatives and strong enthusiasm for the Commission’s work.

The Commission maintains a full-time staff in Washington, DC. The Commission is accepting intern applications from current graduate students in the Washington, DC, Philadelphia, and New York metropolitan areas. This paid internship includes term-time work in spring 2013, with the possibility of extending into summer 2013.

Qualifications

Candidates should be pursuing a masters degree in public policy, urban and regional planning, transportation, business, or a related field. Candidates should have:

• Experience collecting, evaluating, and interpreting quantitative data;

• Excellent skills in written, verbal and graphic communication of quantitative and qualitative information, including the ability to clearly express technical concepts to wide audiences;

• Strong computer skills in data analysis, word processing, and graphic design – experience with the Adobe Creative Suite, data visualizations, and/or geographic information systems (GIS) is preferred; and

• An ability to build relationships with all levels of an organization, work in a fast-paced office environment with tight deadlines, and stay organized and detailed-oriented while working on a wide range of tasks.

Application Instructions

Interested candidates should email a cover letter, a resume, and a one-page writing sample to: Jeremy Steinemann, Transportation Analyst, jsteinemann@nec-commission.com . Successful writing samples should emphasize strong writing skills and the ability to communicate technical concepts to broad audiences. Writing samples may pertain to transportation, city planning, public policy, or related issues, but need not demonstrate proficiency in a particular content area. Submission Deadline: Friday, February 22, 2013 at 5pm.

 The Northeast Corridor (NEC) Commission

Congress created the Northeast Corridor Infrastructure and Operations Advisory Commission (NEC Commission) in recognition of the inherent challenges of coordinating, financing, and implementing major improvements that cross multiple jurisdictions. The Commission’s goals are to lead the creation and implementation of a visionary, long-term, regional investment strategy for the Northeast Corridor; advance near-term projects; coordinate regional planning and communication; and educate stakeholders and the public about the Northeast Corridor’s investment needs and its role in the future economic growth and development of the region.

The NEC Commission is comprised of representatives from each of the NEC states, Amtrak, and the U.S. DOT, with non-voting representatives from freight railroads and states with connecting corridors. For more information about the Commission, visithttp://www.nec-commission.com.

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Job(s) Alert: Two Job Opportunities – Transportation Management Specialists @ DC Department of Transportation

February 15, 2013 at 11:24 pm
English: District of Columbia Department of Tr...

District of Columbia Department of Transportation (d-dot) logo on a D.C. Circulator bus. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

(via YIPPS)
DDOT has two jobs open in the Policy, Planning & Sustainability Administration. Both are open until 3/8 with a first read date of 3/1 and neither is an entry-level position.
  • posting 20676 (link) is for the Strategic Planning Branch and will be the Southern Area planner, including Ward 8 and parts of Ward 7, the Southwest Waterfront and Navy Yard areas. This is an exciting area of the District, with a lot of challenges in the years ahead. DDOT is looking for a motivated planner who can successfully engage with the community on multi-modal planning projects.
  • posting 21749 (link) is for the Project Review Branch, and DDOT is looking for a technically-minded planner who understands traffic analysis, has experience with NEPA, and ideally some modeling.
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Infograph: A tough balancing act? – Tax Loopholes for Corporate Jets or Investments in Jobs and Education

February 14, 2013 at 5:08 pm

Source: Center for American Progress

Amidst all the exhaustive and bitter political battles that rage day after day over the weak fiscal health of the nation, there are so many little things that slip away from the attention of tax paying public. And here is one such that I happened upon via twitter.

Guess what?

Just by eliminating a tax loophole that gives special treatment to corporate jets, for example—at a cost to taxpayers of $3.2 billion over 10 years – Congress could avert cuts that would cost thousands of jobs, hurt millions of disadvantaged students, and force hundreds of thousands of vulnerable families to lose critical nutrition and housing supports this year.

Tax loopholes for corporate jets

Information nuggets such as this make me wonder why our Politicians find it so difficult to act to avert painful cuts (in $$ that eventually affect middle and lower-income families) by taking a more balanced approach to deficit reduction.  Corporations are people too?  Not really (but the highest court in this land says otherwise). As CAP notes, “Unless Congress acts, on March 1 automatic and indiscriminate spending cuts will hit key programs, costing our economy more than 1 million jobs and cutting essential services for millions of low- and middle-income families.” That leaves me with this question: Will the politicians be rational for a change and do the right thing for the country? Or, will they continue to squabble and be addicted to doing their habitual partisan battles?  Time will tell. Sigh!

Job Alert: 2013 East of the River Program Associate – Washington (DC) Area Bicyclist Association (WABA)

February 4, 2013 at 6:52 pm

 

The Washington Area Bicyclist Association is looking for a dedicated, self-motivated lover of bicycling to assist in planning and executing major components of our East of the River 2013 Bicycle Outreach Initiative. This is an expansion of our successful 2012 program and includes distribution of community engagement and outreach materials and organization of educational offerings, bicycle repair clinics, bike rides, and community events. The project area is the District of Columbia east of the Anacostia River, with specific emphasis on the Congress Heights, Anacostia, and St. Elizabeths areas.

The East of the River Program Associate will have primary day-to-day responsibility for delivery of bicycling outreach through one-on-one, grassroots community engagement, and will be responsible for coordinating logistics of numerous outreach events to communicate to community members the value of bicycling as a viable form of affordable, healthy, sustainable transportation.

Image Courtesy: Anacostia Yogi – http://www.anacostiayoga.com

This position is grant-funded and is anticipated to run through mid-August 2013. The ideal candidate will be highly motivated, committed to getting more people on bikes, a strong communicator, knowledgeable about the community to be served, and organized. Hours are flexible, but weekend work will be required. The majority of work will be outdoors likely involving bicycling, interacting with the public, or at outdoor community events, but the associate will also be responsible for planning and preparing reports for supervisors and funders.

The associate will report directly to the WABA outreach coordinator and will be directed by WABA program staff. This will afford the associate the opportunity to learn from professionals in the fields of event planning, community planning, grassroots organizing, online activism, and outreach.

The ideal candidate will have:

  • A strong commitment to WABA’s mission, growing bicycling as transportation
  • Excellent writing, presentation, and public-speaking skills
  • A flexible schedule and willingness to work evenings and weekends as needed
  • The ability to organize time wisely and multi-task in a relaxed and fun, but demanding, environment
  • Experience with Microsoft Office

Benefits include a flexible schedule, vacation, and sick and personal leave. Compensation is $15 an hour. This position is part-time, about 20 to 25 hours per week.

Apply

Send a cover letter describing why you are the best candidate for this job, along with a resume, to jobs@waba.org. No phone calls, please. The position is available immediately, and applications will be accepted until the position is filled.

WABA is committed to providing equal employment opportunity for all persons regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, marital status, political affiliation, sexual orientation or gender identity, disability, sex, or age.

About the Washington Area Bicyclist Association
Making bicycling better through advocacy and education, the Washington Area Bicyclist Association promotes biking as a healthy, low-cost, and environmentally friendly form of transportation and recreation. With 4,000 members region-wide, WABA serves bicyclists throughout the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, including the District of Columbia and parts of Maryland and Virginia.

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#WMATA Caught With Its Pants Down.. Pissed Off Customers Blow Steam on Twitter

January 30, 2013 at 7:28 pm

Just a couple of hours ago, the premier transit agency in the nation’s capitol (WMATA) suffered a serious service outage on one of the heavily traveled train lines (Green Line). The abrupt disruptions have left many commuters stranded without a way out of the Navy Yard (and Anacostia) area, a major hub for riders employed at many of the facilities, including the US Department of Transportation, situated in the vicinity.   Though it was an unexpected situation, #WMATA was a bit slow to respond and got customers ticked (to put it lightly). And the customers have already taken to using social media sharing pics. and tweets from the scene.  To WMATA’s credit, the communications team at the agency was trying its best to deal with the situation, which is a bit more heartening than how they did in similar situations in the past.  Here is a sample of what’s happening on Twitter as we speak :

WMATA GL Jan 30 Issue - Tweet Capture2

Heated Exchanges

A sample of  what’s happening at Twitter hashtag #WMATA

Looks like it is going to be a long night for all involved, esp. for the communications team at WMATA.  Hope they learn sooner than later to deal with/cool down their customers before they all start flocking to their personal automobiles to get around the town.

Job Alert: Senior Engineer/Scientist (Clean Vehicles Program) – Union of Concerned Scientists, Washington, DC or Berkeley, CA

December 5, 2012 at 4:39 pm
Union of Concerned Scientists

Union of Concerned Scientists (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Job Description

Senior Engineer/Scientist
Clean Vehicles Program
Union of Concerned Scientists
Location choice: Washington, DC or Berkeley, CA Office

The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS), the leading science-based organization at the center of today’s most exciting and important policy debates, seeks an individual to work with a top-notch, multi-disciplinary team in our Clean Vehicles Program to advance sound transportation policy to cut oil use and protect public health. UCS is seeking a senior engineer/scientist to conduct research and analysis and serve as a lead spokesperson focused on solutions that save oil and reduce climate emissions, fuel economy, electric vehicles, and related technology and policy issues. Candidates must have a strong background in vehicle and fuel technology and transportation policy and excellent written and oral communication skills.

Responsibilities

The Senior Engineer/Scientist will help lead UCS efforts to evaluate potential transportation sector policy and technology solutions to cut projected US oil use in half within twenty years and significantly reduce transportation related pollution.

The person in this position will

  • generate reports on oil savings, fuel economy, and electric vehicle technology, develop related policies;
  • serve as a technical expert and a lead spokesperson to media, government and key allies;
  • provide technical information and expertise through testimony, written materials and public speaking;
  • actively promote promising legislation at federal and state levels;
  • assist in developing and managing regulatory campaigns on key oil and transportation-related issues.

Desired Skills & Experience

Qualifications and experience

This position requires five to seven years of related experience for candidates with masters or equivalent experience, including background in research and policy development and analysis. Candidate must have experience communicating technical issues to a non-technical audience through written products and presentations. Candidate should have knowledge of the transportation field, including vehicle and fuel technology, infrastructure, and industries. Candidate should have familiarity with current oil and transportation issues and their political/social/environmental/economic ramifications.  Position requires an understanding of public policy aspects of transportation and related climate and oil issues and the role of technical analyses and advocacy in shaping public opinion and policy debates.

Applicants must have strong quantitative and research skills; strong writing and verbal skills; proficiency with spreadsheet and word processing software; ability to write well for scientific and general audiences; familiarity with economics and public policy; and a team orientation.  Experience with project management, policymakers and the media a plus.

At UCS, comparable training and/or experience can be substituted for degrees when appropriate.

Company Description

The Union of Concerned Scientists is the leading U.S. science-based nonprofit organization working for a healthy environment and a safer world. Founded in 1969, UCS is headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and also has offices in Berkeley, Chicago and Washington, D.C. For more information, go to www.ucsusa.org.

Additional Information

Compensation, Hours and Location: This is a full time position based in either UCS’s Washington, DC or Berkeley, CA office. For candidates who meet all position requirements, the salary is in the high $70,000s. UCS offers excellent benefits and is an equal opportunity employer continually seeking to diversify its staff. Information about UCS is available at http://www.ucsusa.org

To Apply: Please submit a cover letter, a technical writing sample and a general audience writing sample, salary requirements, how you learned about the position and resume via email to jobs@ucsusa.org and include “Senior Engineer/Scientist” in the subject line. Email materials in Word or PDF format only. No phone calls please. Deadline: December 14, 2012 or until filled.

Posted: November 28, 2012

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Job Alert: Transportation Director – Georgetown Business Improvement District, Washington, DC

November 30, 2012 at 12:33 am

Position Description: Georgetown, Come out and play.

PURPOSE

The purpose of this position is to help develop, coordinate, implement, and communicate all of the Georgetown BID’s transportation initiatives to make Georgetown more accessible, improve pedestrian, bike, transit, and auto mobility, and improve the perception that Georgetown is easy to get to, around, and from.

RESPONSIBILITIES

A. Works with CEO, Marketing Director, Deputy Director for Operations, and other Staff, Board, and community, stakeholders to develop Georgetown transportation initiatives and participates in all city efforts that contribute to, or impact, Georgetown transportation including: public and private parking, street configuration, signage,
street cars and bus transit, taxi, para-transit, bike, bike sharing, car sharing, curb management, pedestrian experience, transportation marketing, organizing, and
advocacy programs.

B. Specifically:

  1. Coordinates the BID’s participation in citywide streetcar program and organizes the BID stakeholder coalition working to bring the streetcar to Georgetown.
  2. Coordinates the BID’s participation with the DC Circulator (DC Surface Transit Inc.)
  3. Works with research coordinator to collect, update and report Georgetown transportation data including pedestrian counts, vehicle counts, parking statistics, and other relevant information.
  4. Coordinates the BID’s activities to improve signage and wayfinding in Georgetown.
  5. Oversees the BIDs efforts to develop a retail parking program (both on and off street).
  6. Participates in an implementation program to improve Georgetown’s street furniture system. This should be integrated with other programs such as the Circulator and CaBi.
  7. Works with city agencies and neighborhood stakeholders to plan and implement performance parking and other transportation programs that improve the experience of coming to Georgetown whether by car, bike, bus, or foot.
  8. Works with marketing department to develop and communicate all materials necessary to support this program.

C. In general develops project plans, budgets, and implementation schedules, prepares RFPs for appropriate phases of projects, administers contracts and manages projects to timely completion.
D. Helps identify and secure outside resources to fund both planning and implementation from private, partnership, city and federal sources.
E. Integrates the BIDs transportation agenda into other relevant parts of the BID program.
F. Provides support for other Georgetown projects upon request of the CEO.

REPORTING RELATIONSHIPS

Georgetown dc day

Georgetown dc day (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Transportation Director reports to the CEO and works closely with all other staff members.

SCOPE

  • Manages interns and consultants only.
  • May represent the Georgetown BID to the city and Georgetown stakeholders on transportation issues.
  • Exercises high level of initiative, independence, non-policy decision making and negotiation and implementation of projects.
  • Develops budgets, and expends funds as approved for specific line items.
  • Makes recommendations on major expenditures.
  • Integrates transportation with other departments and organizations of the BID.

QUALIFICATIONS

  • Minimum of 4-years of experience in the field of transportation, urban planning or related field.
  • Strong written communication skills, including preparation of RFPs, and/or detailed reports.
  • Excellent verbal communication skills including public speaking, facilitating and negotiating skills.
  • Demonstrated skills in strategic planning.
  • Experience managing multiple tasks to bring projects to timely completion.
  • Basic analytical skills
  • Bachelors degree required (preferably in related field of transportation, urban planning, public administration, public policy or related field). Masters degree preferred but not required.

SALARY
Competitive and comes with an excellent benefits package.

TO APPLY
Please send resume and cover letter to:

Transportation Director Search
Georgetown Business Improvement District
1000 Potomac Street NW
Suite 122
Washington, DC 20007

You can also send your resume or questions to: jobs@georgetowndc.com . Please put “Transportation Director Search” in the Subject line.

BACKGROUND
The Georgetown BID is a 12 year-old publicly chartered non-profit organization dedicated to making Georgetown cleaner, safer, more user-friendly and more vibrant. . The Georgetown BID runs a variety of programs including marketing the neighborhood as a unique shopping, dining, and historic destination, keeping the streets and sidewalks clean and passable; improving the streetscapes with plantings and street furniture; collecting and disseminating economic development research; and improving transportation access and mobility throughout the area. The organization has a $3.1 million annual budget and 17 employees and full-time contractors. For more information visit our web site at www.Georgetowndc.com.

The Georgetown Business Improvement District provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, non-job-related disability, veteran status, genetic information or other protected group status. In so doing, we are committed to ensuring that all employees and applicants for employment are afforded an equal opportunity to pursue job opportunities to the fullest extent possible with the organization. Decisions on employment, promotions, opportunities for personal development, compensation and benefits reflect our commitment to furthering the principles of the Georgetown BID’s equal employment opportunity policy.

This Job Announcement, and any application submitted pursuant to it, is not an offer of employment or an employment contract.

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Job Alert: Financial Analyst – TIFIA @ U.S. Department of Transportation

November 28, 2012 at 12:01 am

via YPTransportation.org

This position is located in the Innovative Program Delivery office (HIN), Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Washington, D.C. The Financial Analyst will serve as a member of the TIFIA Joint Program Office (JPO), one of five teams within HIN. The ideal candidate for this position will bring specialized experience in budget and accounting to apply the principles of the Federal Credit Reform Act of 1990 (FCRA), as interpreted through guidance from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to manage the TIFIA program funds appropriated by Congress. Working with the budget and accounting staff from the FHWA and the Office of the Secretary, as well as outside technical advisors, you will prepare TIFIA’s annual budget submission, calculate the subsidy cost of each TIFIA transaction, prepare apportionments, collect payments from applicants and borrowers, and ensure that all financial events are recorded properly in the program accounts. This position is being filled at the GS-11, 12 or 13 level and is located in Washington, DC. Salary range is $62,467.00 to $115,742.00 per year, based upon qualifications.

This Financial Analyst vacancy announcement can be viewed at: FHWA.HIN-2013-0002: DEU-Open to all US Citizenshttps://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/331226200 and

FHWA.HIN-2013-0004: Government Employees only https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/331227500.

In order to be considered, please follow specific application procedures on the announcements.

Application Cut-off: Given our continuing need for professionals in this field, we will routinely review applications and refer the top candidates for potential interviews multiple times during the open period of the announcement. The first cutoff for applications is close of business November 26, 2012, 2nd cut-off is December 26, 2012 and final review occurring after January 24, 2013 (closing date).

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Dancers Among Us… The poetic feel to life (and the transportation connections)

November 9, 2012 at 11:50 am

Someone posted a series of these pics on Reddit and I’m sharing the two below because they had a transportation connection..Just beautiful! Life captured in motion is quite poetic! Also check out more photos from this series posted on My Modern Metropolis

And here is a video posted on the source website (Dancersamongus)..

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A warrior’s final journey – NASA Space Shuttle Discovery Makes Final Flight Over Nation’s Capitol; Leaves Behind A Lot of Inspired People and A Beautiful Legacy

April 17, 2012 at 5:35 pm

(via National Geographic)

[yframe url=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c48ag_Mnz7M’]

After decades of tireless hardwork and 39 trips, a national icon – NASA’s Space Shuttle Discovery – made its final journey to its resting place in Washington, DC region today.  The shuttle will be permanently retired at the Smithsonian Udvar Hazy Center near Dulles, VA. NASA coordinated with the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration to navigate through the restricted air space over Washington, D.C. I got a chance to see the shuttle fly-by as it floated majestically perched atop a NASA jet. It was a bitter sweet moment watching it fly-by for not just me but for the entire nation that grew up watching the marvelous machines soar into the space.  Not only did the shuttles ferry supplies to the space station but along the way they inspired a generation of innovators and encouraged many of us to dream big.

Image Courtesy: Washington Post (Photo by Linda Davidson)

On this momentous occasion, the shuttle in one single fly-by also accomplished what usually takes a government billions of dollars and decades of hard work . It left people inspired at what is possible if we put our heads together and encouraged everyone to dream big.  The pic. above, taken by Linda Davidson (courtesy of Washington Post) shows the excitement on the faces of a few from the next generation of dreamers.  Look at the inspiration on the faces of these children as they react to the shuttle Discovery fly-by. Priceless!