Transportation Engineering
and Planning
A Career for You?
Toronto's GO-Train; Rail Transit
Put yourself in the centre of the action ...be a transportation professional!
Vancouver's LRT System
A good background in science and mathematics, the ability to communicate effectively through speaking and writing, and a basic understanding of government are all beneficial skills in becoming a transportation engineer, planner or technologist.
Transportation engineers, planners and technologists should prepare for their careers through college or university education. Most transportation engineers are enrolled in engineering programs, primarily transportation or civil engineering, but also electrical, mechanical or industrial engineering. However, because of the diverse nature of the transportation profession, many transportation planners and technologists have backgrounds in urban planning, science, environmental planning, computing and a number of other fields.
The majority of transportation engineers, planners and technologists are employed in the private sector as transportation consultants or work for municipal, regional, provincial or federal public agencies. Others are engaged in teaching and research at colleges and universities. Job opportunities exist both in Canada and internationally and are often publicized through publications such as the ITE Journal, a magazine published monthly by the Institute of Transportation Engineers. Also, most colleges and universities have job-placement programs to help their graduating students find employment.
A career in transportation can include working as a consultant, in government, or in the research and education field.
The majority of transportation professionals in Canada work for consulting firms in the private sector. As a transportation consultant, you will work for a variety of clients in the public and private sectors, including business leaders, neighbourhood groups and government officials, using state of the art technology. Projects can include assessing the transportation needs for a major land development site such as a regional shopping centre, reducing traffic through residential neighbourhoods or perhaps even developing Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS). You will help design roadways, public transit systems, parking facilities and more. Your communication skills will be just as important as your technical knowledge.
Transportation engineers, planners and tech-nologists serve in numerous municipal, regional, provincial or federal government positions. Working for a government, you might oversee the planning and construction of new highways or the operation of a system where the traffic signals are controlled by a computer. You might help design or manage roads, public transit systems or ITS. Whatever your responsibilites are, you will deal with people ... neighbourhood groups, business leaders and elected officials.
As a researcher, you will tackle the unknown. Perhaps you will develop a new computer program for a system inside a vehicle that provides the driver route guidance and/or information. Or perhaps you will develop new ways to design automated highways that could control vehicles on the road. You will work on the latest technology and with the top thinkers in the profession. You might be part of a team assigned to a large federal or provincial project or manage your own smaller study for a private concern - working today on the transportation systems of tomorrow.
Kari Fellows graduated with a Bachelor of Applied Science degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Waterloo in Waterloo, Ontario. Kari currently works as a Traffic Engineer for the Metro Toronto Transportation Department, in the section responsible for the Gardiner-Lake Shore Corridor Traffic Management System. The system incorporates closed circuit television, in-pavement vehicle detection, a fibre optic communication network, a sophisticated computer system, and system operators to monitor freeway and arterial traffic conditions 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Kari supervises the staff who operate the system, and works with Metro area emergency agency personnel to define Metro Transportation's role in managing roadway incidents. Traffic reporters from local radio stations are provided with electronic reports of traffic incidents and congestion; Kari liaises with the reporters, and ensures that the reports sent out are timely and accurate. Her technical responsibilities include summarizing system data, compiling system statistics and assisting electronics and computer engineers in troubleshooting equipment problems. In addition, Kari often conducts tours of the Metro Transportation Integrated Traffic Control Centre (shown below) for groups such as civil engineering students, the Metro Toronto police officers who patrol the Gardiner Expressway and foreign delegations of senior politicians and engineers.
Metro Traffic Control Centre
Kari and Jennifer are now responsible for undertaking complex technical tasks with a high degree of public interaction within six years after graduation .
Jennifer Merriam graduated with a Diploma in Transportation Engineering Technology from Mohawk College in Hamilton, Ontario. Jennifer is now a traffic technologist with the City of Surrey's Engineering Department as part of the Transportation Management Section. The City of Surrey, B.C., is one of the fastest growing cities in Canada and provides a challenging work environment for Jennifer.
Jennifer deals with a wide variety of issues concerning traffic safety, the installation of new traffic signs and pavement markings. Her day typically involves responding to public queries, visiting sites to examine possible traffic safety concerns, issuing work orders for new traffic signs and pavement markings, issuing traffic obstruction permits (eg. road construction, filming and other special events), writing a letter or report, assessing the need for new traffic signals, stop signs and crosswalks, or working on new traffic calming projects to reduce traffic through neighbourhoods.
The Canadian Institute of Transportation Engineers (CITE) is composed of more than 1,000 transportation engineers, planners, technologists and students across Canada. CITE is an integral part of the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) which consists of more than 13,000 transportation professionals in more than 70 countries. These transportation professionals are responsible for the safe and efficient movement of people and goods on streets, highways and transit systems. Since 1930, ITE has been providing transportation professionals with programs and resources to help them meet those responsibilities. ITE and CITE programs and resources include professional development seminars, technical reports, a monthly journal, local, regional and international meetings and other forums for the exchange of opinions, ideas, techniques and research.
Contacts:
EASTERN CANADA
Mr. Tim Laspa, Tel: (416) 392-7711, Fax: (416) 392-0816, E-MAIL:giro@interlog.com
WESTERN CANADA
Mr. Jan O. Voss, Tel: (604) 936-6190, Fax: (604) 936-6175, E-MAIL: jvoss@cts-bc.com
ITE International Home Page: http://www.ite.org