Definition
Provides journey-level oversight in specialized transportation planning projects and coordinates studies in the formulation of long-range and short-range transportation plans; performs related work as required.
Work Examples
Provides oversight in specialized planning assignments; coordinates the necessary work and assures timely completion of assignments by determining time frames for completion, reviewing the work of other planners, providing technical advice and assistance to other planners, and conveying management directions and philosophy to team members.
Develops solutions to planning problems in order to facilitate the planning process; applies technical planning principles to the problem at hand, documents findings, and recommends alternatives to management.
Writes memorandums and reports to document and inform higher-level planners and management of planning analyses progress and conclusions.
Responds to general information requests from various government officials and civic organizations in order to facilitate public relations.
Reviews existing and proposed transportation policies in order to ensure compliance with governing rules, regulations and laws by reading the policies and identifying areas of non-compliance for resolution.
Recommends transportation technologies, planning ideas, and methodologies by reading various literature, identifying technologies/ideas/methodologies, developing and applying planning models, consulting with agency staff, and writing reports of findings.
Conducts general research for management in order to collect information that is necessary for the decision making process by discussing research issues and past practices with Department of Transportation personnel, reviewing related literature, and preparing summary reports of findings.
Coordinates planning activities with other Department of Transportation bureaus and divisions to achieve common goals without overlapping efforts by notifying bureau and division directors and discussing with them studies, analyses, and personal contacts to be made that impact individual divisions.
Oversees data collection and analysis studies in order to forecast transportation needs by determining data needs and processing requirements, analyzing processed data for validity, and documenting data summarizations for general use.
Updates computerized forecasting models in order to maintain accuracy or to adapt to new techniques by mathematically adjusting the model parameters.
Prepares grant requests in order to obtain federal funding for state or local transportation projects by reviewing plans to ensure compliance with federal and state requirements and completing the necessary forms to describe the project and how financial assistance will be applied.
Conducts research for various projects in order to identify new planning strategies and techniques by reading transportation planning and engineering literature.
Analyzes past, present, or future forecast data to provide information for use in the evaluation of proposed plans by comparing the proposal to the data through the application of prescribed methodologies.
Compiles planning data in order to centralize information on specific projects and that which require further analysis.
Competencies Required
- Transportation – Principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
- English Language – The structure and content of the English language, including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
- Engineering and Technology – The practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
- Mathematics – Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
- Design – Design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
- Geography – Principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
- Customer Service – Principles and processes for providing customer services, including customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluating customer satisfaction.
Written Comprehension – Read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
Written Expression – Communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
Deductive Reasoning – Apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
Inductive Reasoning – Combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions.
Fluency of Ideas – Come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).
Originality – Come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.
Problem Sensitivity – Tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
Active Listening – Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Complex Problem Solving – Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Critical Thinking – Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Systems Analysis – Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
Operations Analysis – Analyzing needs and product requirements to create a design.
Reading Comprehension – Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Judgment and Decision Making – Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Mathematics – Using mathematics to solve problems.
Minimum Qualification Requirements
Applicants must meet at least one of the following minimum requirements to qualify for positions in this job classification:
Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with a degree in any field, and experience equal to four years of full-time work in professional transportation planning*/engineering.
Licensure as a professional engineer by the Iowa Engineering & Land Surveying Examining Board.
Current, continuous experience in the state executive branch that includes three years of full-time work as a Transportation Planner 1.
"Transportation planning" includes preparing planning contracts and grants; managing planning grant application submittals and project development; preparing functional classification appeals; developing travel demand models and traffic forecasts; creating cartographic representations and data collection applications; analyzing transportation data, project plans, and reports to identify problems; developing portions of statewide transportation plans; or conducting/coordinating transportation research projects.
Effective date: 06/19 SA