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Transportation Planners

Also called: Transportation Planner, Planner, Planning Director, Seaport Planning Manager

What they do:
Prepare studies for proposed transportation projects. Gather, compile, and analyze data. Study the use and operation of transportation systems. Develop transportation models or simulations.
On the job, you would:
  • Prepare reports or recommendations on transportation planning.
  • Recommend transportation system improvements or projects, based on economic, population, land-use or traffic projections.
  • Participate in public meetings or hearings to explain planning proposals, to gather feedback from those affected by projects, or to achieve consensus on project designs.

Knowledge

Transportation
  • movement of people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road
Arts and Humanities
  • English language
Safety and Government
  • law and government
Business
  • customer service

Skills

Basic Skills
  • reading work related information
  • talking to others
Problem Solving
  • noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it
People and Technology Systems
  • thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one
  • measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it

Abilities

Verbal
  • read and understand what is written
  • communicate by speaking
Ideas and Logic
  • make general rules or come up with answers from lots of detailed information
  • notice when problems happen
Attention
  • pay attention to something without being distracted
  • do two or more things at the same time
Math
  • add, subtract, multiply, or divide

Personality

People interested in this work like activities that include
ideas, thinking, and figuring things out.
They do well at jobs that need:
  • Analytical Thinking
  • Integrity
  • Cooperation
  • Dependability
  • Attention to Detail
  • Initiative

Technology

You might use software like this on the job:

Analytical or scientific software
  • Citilabs Cube
  • Dowling Associates TRAFFIX
Computer aided design CAD software
  • Autodesk AutoCAD software
  • Caliper TransCAD
Map creation software
  • ESRI ArcGIS software
  • MapInfo software

Education

Education: (rated 4 of 5)
bachelor's degree or
master's degree
usually needed

Get started on your career:

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Job Outlook

Bright Outlook
New job opportunities are very likely in the future.
Salary
$75,160
per year, on average
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Green
This work is part of the green economy.

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See more details at O*NET OnLine about transportation planners.