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If you've ever wondered how cities seamlessly (or not!) design and build transportation networks and manage daily traffic flows, then the world of transportation planning may be for you!
Transportation planning is a career that spans several fields, from urban planning to land use management, and requires a strong understanding of logistics. Transportation planners are responsible for planning for the future to ensure that our transportation network never grinds to a halt. Their work can focus on roads, bridges, or railways, and both the public and private sectors are in great need of their skills. Transportation planners work with a wide range of other professionals in policy, engineering or development, especially in the public sector.
So, if you feel you have a passion for the transportation planning industry or skills you could contribute, we've put together everything you need to know right here. Read on to make an informed decision about your next steps!
Transportation planning, mobility, and infrastructure are intertwined to form a sector that is the backbone of cities and an important indicator of a country's economic success. Public transportation infrastructure has undergone tremendous change and innovation in recent decades. It is essentially a term used to describe the act of moving goods or people. The focus of these efforts has been to meet and manage the exponentially increasing demand for infrastructure - more highways, overpasses, trains that allow for faster movement of traffic.
However, there has been a recent and long overdue shift towards looking at transportation solutions not only through the lens of efficiency, speed and monetisation, but rather through one of sustainability, inclusivity and climate friendliness. The term for this kind of transportation today is mobility. Mobility puts agency into the process of transportation and focuses on creating solutions that allow their users to feel capable of using them. Cars that can be driven by people with physical disabilities are mobile infrastructure, as are electric scooters for the elderly.
In this context, the work of this sector focuses on transportation planning that uses existing infrastructure to provide mobility to the entire population, regardless of their individual, unique needs.
It is no news to anyone that Germany has a very well-developed infrastructure by global sector. As a result, there is a need for skilled workers in many different positions, from more hands-on roles such as driving to more planning, technical and policy roles. Here we discuss some of the most prominent ones.
Despite technological advances, the demand for transportation planners continues to grow around the world. As the human population continues to grow, there is a constant need for new cities and the expansion of existing ones. This is where transportation planners come in.
Transportation planner jobs can be found mostly in the public sector, with requirements to ensure that the population has access to adequate and well-functioning infrastructure, as well as to plan, implement and monitor future projects, including future routes, feasibility studies, rail and air transportation.
Transportation engineers are civil engineers who work with transportation planners to plan, design, and operate transportation systems. There is a greater focus on the design and implementation of specific infrastructure projects. The broader scope of responsibilities includes ensuring that roads, streets, highways, etc. are designed and operated in a way that reduces congestion, traffic, and accidents.
Typical tasks associated with a traffic engineer job include developing traffic engineering plans, creating traffic signal reports, and estimating traffic levels, to name a few. They often work closely with law enforcement officials to come up with efficient enforcement strategies.
Another important profile in the transport sector is the transport technician. These professionals are responsible for performing a variety of technical tasks related to roads and transportation in general. This includes tasks such as operating monitoring equipment to compile and maintain traffic records, making minor repairs to traffic control equipment based on expertise, and collecting, inputting, or transferring data to the database. Identifying risks and hazards and finding solutions to improve safety, security, sustainability, and inclusiveness are also important aspects of their work.
Road planning jobs, a niche within transportation planning jobs, are also very relevant to the economic development of a region. Road planners must focus on the smallest but most critical unit of the transportation network - the roads - and ensure that they are adapted to the region's environment, safe for all (including motor vehicles, bicycles, and pedestrians), barrier-free, clear, and inclusive.
Road planners are also responsible for the expansion of existing roads and paths, as well as the design and construction of city squares.
As we briefly discussed earlier, mobility solutions is a relatively new field in the context of transportation and is therefore very intersectional. This means that there are an endless number of job profiles that can fit into this sector, such as e-mobility designer, mobility manager, data analyst, etc. All you need is an inclusive and sustainable lens for your work.
Here, we've shortlisted a few profiles to discuss in more detail.
Infrastructure management is a subset of the emerging mobility sector and involves the planning, delivery and operation of projects, networks, assets and IT across multiple organisations. In the context of urban planning, infrastructure managers are responsible for overseeing and managing the entire (or partial) lifecycle of infrastructure projects.
They are not always focused on the details, but act as an interface between multiple parties to ensure smooth implementation. They also control the budget, schedule, and cost of the project.
Fleet management is another job in the sector that revolves around managing, planning, controlling and monitoring a fleet of vehicles in the context of transporting goods and people. Similar to an infrastructure manager, the tasks of this role are not in the details; fleet manager jobs require an aptitude for administrative processes such as the procurement, maintenance, organization, and sale of infrastructure.
Germany offers a wide range of university courses on transport systems, logistics, mobility, traffic and infrastructure at some of the best universities such as TU Berlin. The Karlsruhe Institute of Technology also has a department dedicated to transportation studies.
A bachelor's or master's degree in transportation systems allows you to learn its fundamental principles through methods-based knowledge that prepares you for direct application of the material. As a science program, the study of transportation requires a strong aptitude and/or interest in science, mathematics, and engineering, as well as construction, transportation, and logistics and operations.
Students often have the option of specializing in areas such as marine engineering, aeronautics, or general transportation systems. The language of instruction is generally German at public universities.
In Germany, transportation planning programs are often offered at the master's level with a focus on transportation and modeling. These courses typically focus on modeling transportation demand, evaluating different transportation policies, and exploring trends and issues in existing mobility solutions.
Courses at the master's level place a greater emphasis on individual modes of transportation and their unique interactions with society. Planning, design, and construction of transportation facilities are also covered.
As is true for all engineering courses, a traffic engineering degree requires an aptitude for maths and physics in particular, and builds necessary foundations for working as a civil traffic engineer. A bachelor’s degree in traffic engineering generally covers courses on mathematics, computer science, mechanical engineering, and economics.
These degrees are created to provide necessary applied tools such as designing and constructing infrastructure, with a focus on economic efficiency.
In addition to a university degree, there are other ways to become a transportation planning specialist. Certain training programs last up to 36 months and offer a mix of vocational training and applied work through apprenticeships, internships, etc., exposing you to both field and office work. A native level of German is often a requirement for these programs.
The following are the salary ranges of some popular occupations in this sector listed to give a better idea of the industry.
The average salary of a traffic planner is around 53,000€ and can reach up to 76,000€ at a peak.
At 72,400€, the average salary of transport engineers is one of the highest in this area and can rise to 152,000€ as professional experience increases.
The starting salary for traffic engineers is around 31,000€, with a few years of professional experience on average around 40,000€.
Infrastructure managers earn around 63,000€ on average and also have higher starting salaries than other positions in the sector.
Starting salaries for fleet managers are around 30,000€ and rise significantly to up to 100,000€ with increasing experience.
In this article, GoGeoGo provides you with a comprehensive guide to transportation planning jobs. We discuss that the sector encompassing transportation planning, mobility, and public infrastructure is huge, with an increasing focus on sustainability and inclusivity.
There is a wide variety of jobs to explore, from transportation planning to traffic engineering to infrastructure manager. Germany offers several university courses in transport studies, transport planning and transport engineering, as well as vocational diplomas to become an expert in the field.
If you think you want to make a career in the transportation sector, head to GoGeoGo now to find the perfect job for you!
What is the difference between a transportation engineer and a transportation planner?
Transportation engineers are civil engineers responsible for the design and operation of transportation systems, focusing on the physical structures and infrastructure. Transportation planners are responsible for strategic network planning, both present and future.
Is transportation planning affected by global trends?
Yes, as a forward-looking profession, transportation planning is influenced by global trends that are currently on the rise or are expected to boom in the near future. These include the rise of smart cities, the growth of public transport, greater integration of technology in traffic management, and a growing focus on inclusive solutions.
What are some of the challenges facing transportation planners today?
Rapid urbanization brings with it issues such as exponential population growth, traffic congestion and increased demand for transport, which need to be addressed by transport planners with sustainable, long-term, inclusive and resilient solutions.
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