Planning
Transportation planning deals with the selection of projects for design and construction.
The transportation planner begins by defining the problem, gathering and analyzing data,
and evaluating various alternative solutions. Also involved in the process are forecasts of
future traffic; estimates of the impact of the facility on land use, the environment, and the
community; and determination of the benefits and costs that will result if the project is
built. The transportation planner investigates the physical feasibility of a project and makes
comparisons between various alternatives to determine which one will accomplish the task
at the lowest cost, consistent with other criteria and constraints.
A transportation planner must be familiar with engineering economics and other
means of evaluating alternative systems. The planner also must be knowledgeable in statistics
and data-gathering techniques, as well as in computer programming for data analysis
and travel forecasting. The transportation planner must be able to communicate with the
public and with his or her client and have the ability to write and speak well.