A traffic signal or intelligent transportation system (ITS) technician is responsible for the installation, maintenance, and/or repair of ITS and traffic signal systems including traffic signal cabinets, loop detection systems, and traffic signal electronics. A traffic signal or ITS technician might also assist with the development of traffic studies and design plans such as for ITS infrastructure, traffic signals, signing, pavement marking, construction sequencing, and traffic control plans. The technician may troubleshoot ITS and traffic signal equipment and make recommendations to repair or resolve any issues in a given system. These technicians may also be responsible for the maintenance of spare equipment and parts, including inventory management and documentation. Relevant technology includes CCTV systems, dynamic message signs, travel time readers, vehicle detection systems, and fiber optics and wireless systems. A traffic signal or ITS technician should ensure that traffic signal installation and related activities are conducted in compliance with applicable traffic control device regulations, standards, and specifications.
Time and Task Management Skills
Construction Engineer
A Highway Construction Engineer is responsible for overseeing roadway projects to completion, on time and within budget. Duties include field layout of projects, general inspection, project management, working with staff, and communicating with clients. The Engineer may be called upon to assist in design engineering duties including: preparing reports, plans, and specifications; researching design standards and code requirements; and conducting field investigations of design problems. The Engineer collaborates with other engineers, technicians, planners, and surveyors.
Other responsibilities typically include:
- Control and/or review all project forecasts, schedules, cost estimates, and reports.
- Prepare construction cost estimates, project budgets, schedules, or specifications for labor or materials.
- Prepare reports and conduct studies of engineering methods, codes, processes, and materials.
- Participate in contract bidding, negotiation, or administration.
- Responsible for quality control. Investigate or test construction materials to determine compliance with specifications or standards including environmental standards.
- Inspect completed transportation projects to ensure safety or compliance with applicable standards or regulations including environmental regulations.
- Confer with contractors, utility companies, and the public.
- Conduct feasibility and operating studies aimed at evaluating alternative innovative designs.
- Develop plans to deconstruct damaged or obsolete roadways or other transportation structures.
Analyst/Logistician (Freight)
The data science analyst or logistician is responsible for extracting, organizing, integrating, analyzing, and communicating information obtained from a variety of transportation or supply chain data sources. The analyst/logistician will analyze data using SQL, SAP, and other standard statistical software and tools to inform business decisions and drive efficient performance across supply chain and logistics operations. The work of the analyst/logistician might also support inventory and asset management, cost savings, internal strategic analysis, mode selection/freight consolidation efforts, product tracking, customer service initiatives, and metric reporting to promote operations performance. The analyst/logistician that also serves as a project or program manager oversees all aspects of a project, supervising progress over the entire project life cycle.
Maintenance Safety Manager
A Highway Maintenance Safety Manager is responsible for oversight of maintenance activities in a given administrative district, including overseeing roadway repair, maintenance, and improvement projects, winter maintenance operations, and facilities and asset management. The Maintenance Safety Manager supervises maintenance staff; roadway monitoring, inspection, and permitting processes; disaster and emergency response; and roadway inspection and hazardous materials procedures. As such, execution of duties has a direct impact on the safety of both maintenance workers and the traveling public. Maintenance Safety Managers provide leadership on road safety promotion by means of maintenance activities and practices. Safety-related competencies include knowledge of systemic safety principles to assess risk, develop safety plans, and promote, implement, and evaluate maintenance impact on road user safety.
Other responsibilities typically include:
- Identify hazards and control measures for maintenance activities.
- Develop incident management and other safety plans based on risk assessment, incorporating knowledge of safety regulations and compliance measures.
- Ensure effective traffic control techniques are in place to safeguard workers and those passing through a work zone or site during maintenance activities.
- Implement effective road safety countermeasures through maintenance activities.
- Ensure maintenance staff are able to identify, report, and/or remediate road safety deficiencies.
- Promote a positive organizational safety culture.
Civil Engineer (Transit)
A civil transit engineer will develop, analyze, inspect, and/or design transit infrastructure, transit stations, buildings, underground structures, or elevated structures or bridges. A civil transit engineer will often perform field surveys, develop transit plans, secure permitting for transit infrastructure, prepare engineering design reports, prepare constructions plans, respond to structural emergencies, and/or prepare contract documents for rail or transit engineering projects. A civil transit engineer will often participate in on-site reviews of project locations to monitor progress and ensure conformance to design specifications and safety standards. A civil transit engineer may also perform transit/traffic analysis, transportation operations, ITS and safety concepts, and pedestrian improvement plans. A civil transit engineer may utilize AutoCAD or Civil 3D software in plans for transit facility designs, diagrams, or models, and to execute engineering tasks. A civil transit engineer will coordinate with local officials to ensure compliance of design in accordance with transit agency standards and specifications. A civil transit engineer with project management duties will also develop and manage a transit project’s design scope, proposal, schedule, and resource estimates, as well as coordinate efforts of the design team or supervises related support staff.
Logistics Analyst
Industrial engineers and operations research or modeling analysts working in transportation operations use advanced mathematical and analytical methods to analyze and solve complex problems, assess risk, and provide a data-driven approach to decision-making. They might be involved in numerous types of projects including process improvement plans, warehouse and labor management, capital projects, inventory and equipment planning, cost saving initiatives, or logistics process design. Utilizing industrial engineering skills inherent in process flow analysis, operational project planning, efficiency or process improvement studies, statistical and mapping analysis, and time and motion studies, the industrial engineer or operations analyst will be involved in planning and designing new transportation operations, supporting existing operations, and developing comprehensive supply chain solutions.