Transportation Planners

What the job really is

Prepare studies for proposed transportation projects. Gather, compile, and analyze data. Study the use and operation of transportation systems. Develop transportation models or simulations.

At a glance

• Sector: Life, Physical & Social Science
• O*NET-SOC code: 19-3099
• O*NET job zone: 4 — considerable preparation
• Work sample tasks on file: 12
• Tools and technologies listed: 12

What you actually do

Work sample tasks recorded for this occupation:

• Define regional or local transportation planning problems or priorities.
• 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.
• Prepare reports or recommendations on transportation planning.
• Collaborate with engineers to research, analyze, or resolve complex transportation design issues.
• Recommend transportation system improvements or projects, based on economic, population, land-use, or traffic projections.
• Develop computer models to address transportation planning issues.
• Analyze information related to transportation, such as land use policies, environmental impact of projects, or long-range planning needs.
• Interpret data from traffic modeling software, geographic information systems, or associated databases.
• Design transportation surveys to identify areas of public concern.
• Collaborate with other professionals to develop sustainable transportation strategies at the local, regional, or national level.
• Evaluate transportation project needs or costs.
• Analyze information from traffic counting programs.

Tools and technology

Adobe Acrobat, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe InDesign, Adobe Photoshop, Autodesk AutoCAD, Autodesk AutoCAD Civil 3D, Bentley MicroStation, ESRI ArcGIS software, Geographic information system GIS systems, IBM SPSS Statistics, Microsoft Access, Microsoft Excel

What employers expect you to already be comfortable with.

Where this job leads

Related occupations — the usual moves up and sideways:

• Transportation Engineers
• Urban and Regional Planners
• Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers
• Logistics Engineers
• Logisticians
• Traffic Technicians
• Logistics Analysts
• Civil Engineers

Getting in

O*NET assigns this occupation job zone 4 (considerable preparation). The related occupations above are the realistic routes in and out.

Find openings

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Check this against the source

O*NET OnLine: Transportation Planners — the authoritative public-domain profile this page is derived from, including the full task list, reported skills and the wage estimates for your region.

Derived and rewritten from the public-domain O*NET database (U.S. Department of Labor / Employment and Training Administration). Figures are observations, not promises — always confirm salary, licensing and visa requirements with the employer and the relevant authority.