Job Alert: Senior Transit Service Planner / Project Manager – Foursquare ITP @ Rockville, MD

March 26, 2013 at 7:02 pm

Description:

Foursquare Integrated Transportation Planning (Foursquare ITP – www.foursquareitp.com) is looking for a qualified Senior Transit Service Planner / Project Manager to lead tasks, conduct analysis, and manage projects that require expertise in bus service planning and transit agency operations for services of all size and in all operating environments. The types of projects include transit network analysis, bus priority plans, and transit development plans.

The selected candidate will be responsible for leading service planning efforts, managing projects, conducting transportation research, analysis, report development, field work and meeting participation on a wide variety of transportation projects. Within service planning, the candidate will develop transit service plans, route structures, operating costs, ridership estimates, and implementation and operating plans.

In addition to transit service planning, the selected candidate must have the breadth of experience and interest to assist, lead, and/or manage teams on a diverse array of transportation projects for state and local governments, federal agencies, transit agencies, and regional agencies. (S)he will be involved in a variety of projects, including (but not limited to) transit development plans, transit system operations, transportation needs assessments, alternatives analysis, station area plans, and transit performance monitoring.

In addition to having the appropriate technical and project management skills, the successful candidate will be a smart, motivated, self-starter who is passionate about transit and transportation planning. The candidate must also be flexible in meeting client demands and operating within a dynamic workflow.

Qualifications

Any potential position at Foursquare ITP requires excellent communication skills, both written and oral. Topical area expertise is required in transit service planning: route planning, ridership estimation, scheduling efficiencies, and transit program implementation. Additional experience desired includes: corridor-level transit planning, regional transportation planning, transit development plans, transportation demand management (TDM), land use and economic development analysis, and strategic planning.  A strong working knowledge of the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan area is preferred.

The candidate must have at least 10 years of experience in the field (12 or more years preferred) and at least 3 years of task or project management experience. Demonstrated service planning capabilities with large, complex transit systems are essential. Experience managing staff and overseeing projects from the technical and administrative sides is required. Appropriate educational background is also required, including preferably a Master’s degree in transportation planning, urban planning, or similar.

While résumés will be accepted through Friday April 12th, 2013, candidate evaluations will begin April 5th. Send to resumes @ foursquareitp.com. The interview and hiring process is on a fast track and the candidate must be available to start work in the very short term.

Announcement: 2013 Eisenhower Transportation Fellowship! Apply by Monday, April 1, 2013

March 26, 2013 at 6:48 pm

The EISENHOWER GRADUATE FELLOWSHIP (GRAD) provides funding for Students pursuing Master’s Degrees or Doctorates in transportation related fields. The program objectives are:

  1. to attract the nation’s brightest minds to the field of transportation,
  2. to enhance the careers of transportation professionals by encouraging them to seek advanced degrees, and
  3. to retain top talent in the transportation industry of the United States.

The Program is intended to bring innovation and enhance the breadth and scope of knowledge of the entire transportation community in the United States. The Eisenhower Graduate Fellowship Program encompasses all modes of transportation.

DISCIPLINES

The Department of Transportation encourages students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs), and Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs) to apply for the Eisenhower Graduate Transportation Fellowships.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

Eisenhower Graduate Fellowship Applicants must:

  • Possess an earned baccalaureate degree or be a confirmed graduating senior;
  • Be enrolled full time in an accredited U.S. institution of higher education no later than the Fall 2013 academic year
  • Be pursuing a degree in a full-time program in a transportation-related discipline
  • Have at least one full academic year remaining in program of study;
  • Conduct ongoing research in one or more transportation-related disciplines; and
  • Plan to enter the transportation profession after completing their higher level education.

Non-U.S. citizens must attach a certified copy of their I-20 or I-551 ID issued by the U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Service (CIS).

SELECTION

Applications will be evaluated by the Eisenhower National Selection Panel. This National Selection Panel will be composed of prominent national transportation professionals, including academia and the public sector, who will review, rate and rank each applicant. The panel’s recommendations for selection will be forwarded to the Program Manager, Universities and Grants Programs. The Program Manager will make final selections.It is imperative that applicants provide an accurate and current email address for themselves and their faculty advisor. Applicants will be notified of their status via email.

CRITERIA FOR EVALUATION

The Eisenhower Graduate Fellowship will be awarded on the basis of merit. Merit includes:

  • Class standing, GPA, and official university transcripts; (25 Points)
  • Potential for Outstanding Career in Transportation (Transportation work experience, if applicable); (25 Points)
  • Proposed plan of study (25 Points)
  • Letters of recommendation regarding the applicant’s qualifications; (20 Points)
  • Overall quality of Application (5 Points)

STIPEND, TUITION AND TAXES

All recipients may not receive a full award (i.e. tuition, stipend, and travel to Transportation Research Board (TRB) Annual Meeting). Recipient awards will be based on the rankings from the National Selection Panel. Recipients of this fellowship will receive a minimum of $5,000.00, based on their ranking from the National Selection Panel and the availability of funding.

Fellowship recipients should be advised that the stipend portion of the fellowship is subject to taxation in accordance with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) regulations (Publication 970, revised 2011).

The stipends for the Eisenhower Graduate Fellowship are as follows:

  • Master’s Level – $1,700/mo.
  • Doctoral Level – $2,000/mo.

Note: Actual Stipend level may vary based upon available funding. Stipends are capped at $1,700 for Masters students and $2,000 a month for Doctoral students from Eisenhower funding. Additional stipend amounts may be added by the University or other sources.

SCHEDULE

All applications and supporting material (official transcripts and letters of recommendation) for Eisenhower Graduate Transportation Fellowship must be received by 5:00 p.m. Monday, April 1, 2013.Applications should be sent to the address in the section entitled “How to Apply”.

Click here to learn more about the details and for applying instructions.

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Job Alert: Transportation Specialist (Office of Freight Management and Operations) @USDOT’s Federal Highway Administration

March 23, 2013 at 12:18 pm

via YPTransportation

fhwa_logo

The Freight Analysis and Research Team within FHWA’s Office of Freight Management and Operations has a job opening for a Transportation Specialist to manage the development and application of the FHWA Freight Analysis Framework (FAF) Program.  This position provides technical guidance and support on the appropriate use of the FAF data and analytical tools for program and network development and evaluation, answers policy and analysis questions related to trends in domestic freight transportation and international trade, and implements special studies necessary for assessing improvements needed in freight models and analytical tools.

Application deadline is March 26, 2013. 

As a Transportation Specialist, you will:

  • Provide overall technical guidance and support to HOFM’s Analysis and Research team on policy and analysis questions related to trends in domestic freight transportation and international trade.
  • Provide authoritative guidance and technical support to FHWA field staff and external stakeholders on the appropriate use of the FAF data and analytical tools for program and network development and evaluation.
  • Formulate policy and legislative recommendations to improve the multimodal l flow of goods.
  • Collaborate with all modal DOT offices to analyze current and future demand for freight transportation, to estimate the economic and environmental consequences of that demand, and to help develop strategies for better balancing the use of the transportation network and to determine the tools that may need to be developed to analyze the effectiveness of the strategies to better utilize the transportation network.
  • Identify the need for, develop, and implement special studies and program evaluations necessary for assessing improvements needed in freight models and analytical tools.  Make presentations of analysis results to agency management and to outside stakeholders.

For more information and to apply, please visit https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/339419400

Infograph: What if we burned all the fossil fuels we have?

March 18, 2013 at 6:13 pm

via Visual.ly

Here is a nice infographic that tries to answer one simple question reg. fossil fuels and their emissions..

What if we burned all the fossil fuels we have? infographic by OpenCanada.

 

Request for Proposals (RFP) seeking Module Authors for a new web based resource on Intelligent Transportation Systems

March 18, 2013 at 5:45 pm

The Intelligent Transportation Society of America (ITS America) is requesting proposals on behalf of the Joint Program Office (JPO) of the Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA) in the U.S. Department of Transportation from individuals interested in serving as Module Authors for the development of the ITS content of the Road Network Operations (RNO) ITS Web Resource to be published on the World Road Association PIARC website.  The current proposed structure includes seven themes and twenty-five Modules.  Prospective authors are asked to indicate which Module(s) they are qualified for and are proposing to cover in response to this RFP.  Prospective authors may apply to author one or more Modules or all Modules within a Theme. A number of Module Authors may be chosen from this RFP.

ITS America will be accepting proposals until April 5, 2013 at 2 p.m. EDST.

The primary purpose of the World Road Association (PIARC) Road Network Operations ITS Web Resource is to provide the current and future ITS workforce with a web-based reference tool for decision-making regarding investments in ITS and related services, focusing on the needs of developing countries and countries with economies in transition. The PIARC RNO ITS Web Resource is intended to be a series of up-to-date, web-based modules that provide a basic introduction to key ITS topics, with an international perspective.

Click here to view this RFP.

For questions, contact Sarah Clements of ITS America at sclements@itsa.org

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Job Alert: Sustainability Analyst – WMATA @Washington, DC

March 18, 2013 at 4:44 pm

Reference 130316 or search for ‘Sustainability’ on WMATA’s career site

Note the 3/21/13 closing date.

Responsibilities:

This is a high level professional and technical position involving the development and analysis in support of Authority-wide sustainability planning, initiative development, and performance measurement. Incumbent uses innovative analysis, corporate/transit best practices, and in-depth evaluation. The incumbent analyzes current performance, identifies new business models and markets, develops implementation strategies and plans, and provides project management support.

Results provide refined critical information to enable effective organizational decision making, performance management, and leadership. Incumbent communicates regularly with executive staff and other Authority personnel. Incumbent conducts special studies to ensure efficient management of resources. Incumbent produces presentations that communicate Authority¿s stance and leadership in sustainability practice.

English: Washington, DC Metro logo

English: Washington, DC Metro logo (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

MAJOR DUTIES:

  • Develops, evaluates, and supports sustainability initiatives, programs, policies, and procedures for the Authority.
  •  Independently conducts analytical studies.
  • Serves as a project analyst and provides project management support to resolve problems and to meet PLAN objectives and Authority strategic goals.
  • Conducts special studies focusing on life-cycle costing, cost benefit analysis, and return on investment calculations for potential investments.
  • Researches and summarizes selected policy areas related to sustainability.
  • Prepares reports on transit issues such as sustainability best practices, impacts of transit on regional sustainability, and summarizes selected policy and technical areas related to sustainability innovations in the transit industry.
  • Researches and drafts responses to inquiries from members of Congress; federal, state, regional, and local officials; the Board of Directors; and the public.
  • Prepares and presents reports and recommendations for a variety of internal and external customers.
  • Attends meetings, hearings, high-level planning sessions, and other activities essential to the execution of the functional responsibilities of PLAN.
  •  Maintains effective working relationships with individuals and organizations with whom interface and cooperation are required.

The above duties and responsibilities are not intended to limit specific duties and responsibilities of any particular position. It is not intended to limit in any way the right of supervisors to assign, direct and control the work of employees under their supervision.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:

  • Knowledge of sustainable business practice and sustainable development.
  • Knowledge of and experience in leading interdisciplinary teams to facilitate effective policy and initiative planning, development, implementation, and support.
  • Knowledge of the principles and practices of strategic business planning, performance metrics, and innovation management.
  • Knowledge of financial analysis including: life-cycle costing, cost benefit analysis, return on investment calculation.
  • Knowledge of the sustainability and environmental policy context in which transit systems operate. Familiarity with sustainable design, green building, and energy planning in a transit context.
  • Knowledge of public transit principles and practices and the application of new technology and other innovations to transit agencies.
  • Demonstrated success in completing difficult assignments, displaying innovative solutions to complex problems.
  • Ability to acquire and maintain current knowledge of major transit systems and changes in the public transportation field that may be of benefit to the attainment of the Authority’s goals and objectives.
  • Ability to effectively analyze and present findings on various assigned studies.
  • Ability to prepare concise technical reports and engaging presentations for a variety of internal and external customers.
  • Demonstrated ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with all levels of management and organizations with who interface and cooperation are required.
  • Ability to communicate effectively at all levels of the organization.

The employee performs moderately difficult administrative and office management work assignments for the head of an entity whose staff consists of one or more subordinate branch management level persons who are responsible for key functions and/or programs. Incumbents in this class perform a full range of administrative support duties which affects the efficacy of work processes performed by others. Contacts are maintained with members of other departments with whom the Director level maintains working relationships. Some situations require the use of persuasion and tact to maintain the Director¿s viewpoint. Written guidelines are generally available, but require interpretation.

 

English: Washington Metropolitan Area Transit ...

To be considered for the position, you must meet minimum qualifications. It is, therefore, very important for you to include on your application any education/experience you have had that is described in the minimum qualifications. Incomplete information may delay the assessment process.

Qualifications

Graduation from an accredited college or university with a bachelor’s degree in planning, public policy, business administration, or related field. A Master¿s degree preferred. A minimum of five (5) years progressively responsible experience in sustainable business practices, sustainable development, or related field.

MEDICAL GROUP:

Ability to satisfactorily complete the medical examination for this position. The incumbent must be able to perform the essential functions of this position either with or without reasonable accommodations.

High School Diploma or GED and a minimum of 5 years experience in office management activities that involved providing administrative/secretarial services within a diverse organizational entity. Applicants must demonstrate proficiency in word processing on the standard software currently in use by the Authority based on a computerized word processing skills evaluation which measures efficiency at various levels; demonstrate proficiency in communication and clerical skills based on a computerized skills evaluation which measures proficiency in spelling, punctuation, capitalization and grammar.

Evaluation Criteria

Evaluation criteria may include one or more of the following:

  1. Education, training and experience
  2. Personal Interview
  3. Medical examination which may include alcohol and drug testing
  4. Performance attendance record
  5. Background check to include criminal, education, work and driver’s record

Closing Statement

Posted salary ranges and offers are subject to Union contract agreements and Metro salary administration guidelines. The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority is an equal opportunity employer, and encourages applications from minorities, females and persons with disabilities.

Please apply before: 03/21/2013

Reference 130316 or search for ‘Sustainability’ on WMATA’s career site

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Job Alert: Membership Coordinator – Washington Area Bicyclist Association (WABA)

March 18, 2013 at 2:27 pm
WABA Monster Shirts close

WABA Monster Shirts close (Photo credit: Washington Area Bicyclist Association)

via @WABADC

The Washington Area Bicyclist Association seeks an enthusiastic, dynamic membership coordinator to manage WABA’s membership program. We are specifically looking for a go- getter; someone who is enthusiastic about WABA’s mission and comfortable making “the ask,” i.e. selling memberships by engaging existing and potential individual and business members with WABA.

Responsibilities

The membership coordinator will:

  • Manage WABA’s membership program in order to gain, retain, and engage our current membership and to further grow our member base.
  • Improve upon existing membership growth and retention strategies and develop new strategies as needed in order to meet (or exceed) annual membership revenue goals.
  • Process and fulfill membership and renewal contributions and store item purchases through our CRM database.
  • Update and de-duplicate database with member and supporters information.
  • Assist with a variety of tasks related to the administration of the program, including data entry, organization/inventory, clerical work, etc.
  • Regularly represent WABA at our events, other community events, and through pop-up, on-street outreach, engaging area bicyclists about bicycling and WABA and actively selling memberships.
  • Handle all facets of membership-related communications and messaging including email communication, blog posts, web content, social media communication (in collaboration with the Communications Coordinator), direct mail, print materials, and merchandise.
  • Respond to membership concerns via email, phone, or in-person.
  • Manage the Business Membership Program, researching, pursuing, and securing annual business membership targets and revenue goals.
  • Oversee and market member benefits/discount partnership program including securing new member benefit partners and promoting existing partners through blog, social media, and membership materials.
  • Collaborate with WABA staff to effectively grow and promote membership through our outreach, events, education, and communications.

Preferred Qualifications

The ideal candidate will have:

  • A strong commitment to WABA’s mission.
  • Capacity for development and fundraising.
  • A comfort with “making the ask” i.e. actively selling memberships and fundraising. This is not a position for someone who is not willing or comfortable engaging individuals or asking for financial support.
  • Previous CRM database management or maintenance experience.
  • Experience with direct mail and email communication campaigns a plus.
  • Excellent interpersonal skills, with strong written and verbal communication skills. Strong computer literacy skills with specific experience using Microsoft Word and Excel.
  • A high attention to detail, with a focus on accuracy.
  • A self-motivated approach, able to manage programs and campaigns with little
    oversight.
  • Excellent time management skills, able to balance multiple tasks and priorities
    simultaneously.

Benefits include flex time, vacation, sick and personal leave, and WABA’s retirement and health insurance programs. Salary dependent on experience. This position is full-time.

Apply

Send a compelling cover letter and resume describing your interest in the position, related qualifications, and salary expectations to jobs@waba.org. Please include “Membership Coordinator” in the subject line. Applications accepted until March 31.

WABA is committed to providing equal employment opportunity for all persons regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, marital status, political affiliation, sexual orientation or gender identity, disability, sex, or age.

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Shot in the Arm! White House Proposes Creation of Energy Security Trust to Fund Clean Energy Research

March 16, 2013 at 12:18 pm

America’s energy security gets a boost from the White House. President Obama proposed the creation of Energy Security Trust during his visit to the Argonne National Research Lab to talk about American energy security. The Energy Security Trust, a$2 Billion investment over 10 years, uses revenue generated by oil and gas development on federal lands to support new research and technology that will shift our cars and trucks off of oil for good.  Below is an infographic that outlines how this works:

Energy Security Trust via Whitehouse.gov

Energy Security Trust Infographic via Whitehouse.gov

Here is an excerpt from the White House Blog:

So how does it work? The Energy Security Trust will invest in research that will make future technologies cheaper and better – it will fund the advances that will allow us to run cars and trucks on electricity or homegrown fuels, and on the technology that will enable us to drive from coast-to-coast without a drop of oil.

Over 10 years, the Energy Security Trust will provide $2 billion for critical, cutting-edge research focused on developing cost-effective transportation alternatives.The funding will be provided by revenues from federal oil and gas development, and will not add any additional costs to the federal budget. The investments will support research into a range of technologies – things like advanced vehicles that run on electricity, homegrown biofuels, and domestically produced natural gas. It will also help fund a small number of real-world experiments that try different transportation techniques in cities and towns around the country using advanced vehicles at scale.

If it is worth something, President Obama has indicated his desire to use the executive powers to curb climate change impacts should Congress fail to act.  According to Bloomberg, the president is also thinking of using a Nixon-era law, the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), signed into law by President Richard Nixon in 1970, to instruct all federal agencies to consider the impact of climate change when approving “major projects, from pipelines to highways.”  Of course, this can have some serious implications for large scale projects and some constituencies in the business sector are already freaking out over this mandate.

While we are busy discussing this issue, I’d like to share with you an address by President Obama from March 2011 in which he outlined his goals for reducing American energy dependence, heavily emphasizing new technology and alternative sources in addition to “safe and responsible” offshore drilling. A lot of what he outline in his blue print for change is already starting to take effect and I can only say that we are poised for a big change in the way we power our vehicles and industries.  Fossil fuels are definitely beginning to see a slow demise (but it will be decades before they are completely phased out in the transportation sector).

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Why is America falling behind in global competitiveness? This simple infrastructure spending chart shows why

March 12, 2013 at 4:52 pm

(via Wall Street Journal)

Bridging the investment gap

The U.S. spending on transportation (and infrastructure in general) has flatlined (or some argue that it has declined considerably) over the decades while other countries around the globe, especially in Asia, have ramped up their investment in large-scale infrastructure projects such as building highways and railroads.  So, how does it look when we match our spending versus the other nations.  This chart from Wall Street Journal shows show you how badly we are behind in this race to stay competitive. Recommend reading the related article on WSJ that shows how funding for infrastructure projects may be coming from new sources as ‘wealth advisers are steering clients into infrastructure deals. Let’s not forget that we have already a crazy amount of things to fix and on top of that we have to spend on projects that can cater to the growing need for transportation as the population explodes.  But do we really have the money to fix the broke and embark on starting new projects? With a dwindling highway trust fund account and a political gridlock in Washington, even the basic of needs for keeping the country economically superior seems to be a bigger challenge than ever.

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Heat and Serve! This Self-Healing Asphalt Could Be The Game Changer Highway Operators Wanted

March 10, 2013 at 12:29 pm

(via Mashable)

Cool stuff.. You can be assured that state & city transportation officials around the globe (at least in the US) will be clamoring to test this new self-healing asphalt on their highways and city streets.