Job Alert: Transportation Analyst –  Cambridge Systematics @ Austin, TX

May 12, 2014 at 11:30 pm

Cambridge Systematics is a place where individuals are able to grow and develop both personally and professionally. When you come to work for us, you’ll be joining an independent, employee-owned company, recognized nationally and internationally. Through our world class on boarding process, new hires receive introductory training from our staff subject matter experts. Ongoing learning and knowledge sharing is a hallmark of our culture and our pursuit of excellence. Through our professional development opportunities, staff can branch out into several different career paths. In addition, we offer competitive salaries and superior benefits.

We are seeking a transportation consulting professional with proven project management and business development skills to help drive the expansion of our Transportation Planning and Management practice. This is an excellent opportunity to join an established and growing national team of planners, engineers, and economists recognized for innovative work in transportation planning and policy analysis.

The successful candidate will work with CS professionals around the country to address transportation challenges faced by Federal, state, and local governments, with a particular focus on clients in the western U.S. You will manage complex client projects, create and implement business development strategies, conduct leading-edge transportation research and analysis, and train and mentor other staff.

Qualifications: Master’s degree in planning, engineering, public policy, or a related field; 3 or more years of professional experience, including two or more years in a related consulting environment; proven business development, project management, and client service skills; proven writing, presentation, and interpersonal communication skills; and strong analytic and problem-solving skills with fluency in transportation data, planning methods, and analysis tools

http://www.camsys.com

EOE AA M/F/Vet/Disability

Qualified Candidates Apply To: https://home.eease.adp.com/recruit/?id=8965851

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Show your support! Solar Roadways paves up a parking lot and launches Indiegogo campaign [w/video]

April 22, 2014 at 9:03 pm

via Autoblog

The innovators at Solar Roadways have pulled together a demonstration site (i.e., parking lot) to showcase how their technology works – it’s got a textured glass surface that can (among many other things) generate low-carbon electricity, melt snow, and throw up safety warnings with its integrated LED lighting system. Pretty cool, right? 

Their vision for smarter roads has grown considerably from conception to an award-winning early prototype to a test deployment.  It is poised to take the next logical step forward – manufacturing, which usually costs a ton of money. So they have put together a nice campaign video and lauched the fundraising efforts over at IndieGoGo for helping move this audacious vision to an everyday reality.

Autoblog notes that if successful, the concept will next start appearing in parking lots, driveways and sidewalks before taking that final leap toward paving the way to a solar-powered paradise. Let’s hope it does succeed.  Show your support over at their IndieGoGo campaign site.   

Note: As of this minute, the campaign has raised $4,712 (in just a day) and they have about 39 days left to reach the $1million goal (by May 31 @ 11:59PM).

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Job Alert: Transportation Specialist (GS-13/14) – Federal Highway Administration (USDOT) @ Washington, DC

April 22, 2014 at 6:51 pm

Closing date: Wednesday, April 30, 2014 (11:59PM EST)

This position is located in the Office of Safety Programs, Office of Safety, Federal Highway Administration, Washington, DC. The incumbent serves as a transportation specialist and provides advice to Safety Leadership on highway safety programs.

You will serve as a nationally recognized authority and advisor to Safety Leadership in identifying, developing and delivering safety workforce competency programs and products to reduce the number and severity of highway crashes, and other highway safety programs. You will also serve as the co-champion for the FHWA Safety Discipline and the program manager for the Roadway Safety Professional Capacity Building Program (RSPBC). As Safety Discipline co-champion, you will work toward improving the capacity of FHWA’s workforce in safety related competencies. As the RSPBC Manager, you will also help a broad range of roadway safety professionals acquire the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to implement safety programs, strategies, and countermeasures.

The ideal candidate for this position is a mid-career or senior level professional with experience in identifying, planning, and implementing new national program initiatives and leading the development and implementation of programs for outreach and public information to improve the proficiency of highway safety professionals.  He/she has a high degree of independence in planning, prioritizing, scheduling, and carrying out assignments and maintaining effective working relationships as a leader or member of teams or working groups.  In addition, the ideal candidate has excellent person-to-person and written communication skills.

Duties:

  • Provide leadership in technical, programmatic engineering and policy assistance to FHWA field offices, State and local agencies, and other internal and external customers to implement safety programs for all levels of government.
  • Provide resources to help safety experts and specialists develop critical knowledge and skills within the roadway safety workforce.
  • Lead the development and implementation of programs for outreach and public information to improve the proficiency of highway safety professionals.
  • Coordinate with other Federal, State, and local agencies and professional organizations and serve on intra-agency task forces with partners to improve the safety workforces’ knowledge, skills, and abilities.
  • Plan and conduct briefings and regional and national meetings for FHWA, State, and local safety professionals and other highway safety-related organizations.
  • Identify customer’s needs and provide resources to facilitate the deployment of roadway safety tools.

Click here to learn more and to apply.

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Job Alert: Civil Engineer (Highway) (GS-11/12) – Federal Highway Administration (USDOT) @ Austin, Texas

April 8, 2014 at 5:05 pm

The FHWA has posted an opening for an Area Engineer in Austin, Texas. Please note that the application deadline is 11:59 PM EST on April 16, 2014.

Description:

You will be responsible for managing and promoting assigned Federal highway programs within the State or, as a shared resource, in multiple states. Provide engineering stewardship and oversight at various junctures of project and program delivery of Federal-Aid infrastructure projects within the state (s). This entails working on a broad range of engineering activities in the State associated with the design, construction and maintenance of highways and highway related facilities. You will participate in the development of overall Division Office policy procedures and in the revision or establishment of national policy on behalf of the Division Office. You will also have the authority to commit the agency to actions on behalf of the Division Office(s) represented in line with delegations of authority.

The ideal candidate is a mid-career engineer with experience participating in monitoring Federally funded highway programs or delivering highway projects from initial scoping through construction support and maintenance.

Duties:

The Civil Engineer (Highway):

  • Serves as a key technical advisor in meetings, telephone contacts, public hearings, field reviews, and visits with State DOT officials and other Federal, State, and local agencies regarding assigned program areas and in assisting in the implementation of leadership initiatives. Communicates and applies Federal laws, regulations, and FHWA policies applicable to Federal-aid projects within the State DOT project development process.
  • Monitors highway and other infrastructure improvements to determine if they are constructed to a desired quality and whether Federal-aid construction funds are being expended in a manner consistent with applicable Federal laws and regulations.
  • Participates in assessments State programs for effectiveness and compliance. Provides to partners recommendations for performance and operational improvements and guidance on corrective actions.
  • For projects designated as full oversight, reviews plans, specifications, and estimates (PS&E) for appropriate application of design standards and criteria, conformance with policy and regulations, eligibility for Federal participation, traffic safety features, reasonableness of estimated unit prices, fulfillment of requirements from the transportation planning and NEPA process, and proper standard and special specifications and contract provisions.
  • Participates in and contributes to Division program management activity including development of stewardship and oversight plans, conducting risk assessments, development of strategic operations and business plans, promotion of the implementation of a performance-based planning and programming process to partner agencies, and identification and tracking of performance measures and the associated reporting process.

Click here to learn more and to apply

Note:

§  FHWA.LKD-2014-0062 can be view at https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/366460300 and is open to current or former federal employees with status or veterans eligible under VEOA.

§  FHWA.LKD-2014-0063 can be viewed at https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/366460400 and is open to all U.S. Citizens.

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Battle of potholes…Michigan potholes rival those craters on moon

March 31, 2014 at 7:41 pm

The long and crazy winter is finally nearing its end but then the impact of this prolonged bad weather can be felt even after that last speck of snow is gone.. As shown in this below video by a Michigan driver, the potholes resulting from the winter weather are ridiculously deep and rattles your vehicles pretty badly..

These tire-munching monsters are not only wrecking the vehicles that go over them but they also cause severe damages to your wallet as well. If that is not enough, swerving drivers who intend to avoid these ginormous potholes pose serious road safety challenges to oncoming vehicles, especially in the night.. Plight of road surfaces, particularly in rural areas, is the same in many parts of the country where mother nature showed wrath.. It only means one thing –  the tax payers can expect some seriously high “patching” bills along with the vehicle repair bills as the spring blooms.  With many states already way deep in the red after exhausting their winter maintenance budgets (spent on salt, ice removal, etc), this is going to be really hard to digest..  The American  Automobile Association (AAA) warns that the annual tab for motorists in the USA dinged by potholes is nearly $6.4 billion. Nearly $4.8 billion is spent each year to repair damage to cars resulting from Americans ‘run-ins with potholes, utility cuts and other dangerous road conditions—almost four times the $1.3 billion a year spent on road repairs by state highway departments.”

So, how bad is it for the Washington, DC metro area? Listen to the AAA on these astronomical numbers: “Driving on roads sorely in need of repair costs Maryland motorists $1.598 billion a year in extra vehicle repairs and operating costs, or ‘$422 per motorist,'” according to the American Society of Civil Engineers’ 2013 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure. In Virginia, drivers spend $1.344 billion a year, or $254 per motorist, while It costs District of Columbia drivers $311 million a year, or $833 per motorists, according to ASCE.  Aside from the direct cost of repairs, don’t forget to factor in the time wasted on negotiating the workzones when the pothole crew work hard to fix the mess. In all, it is safe to say we are screwed!

Job Alert: Assistant Professor Assessment of Smart and Sustainable Transport Systems – TU Delft @ Netherlands

March 10, 2014 at 5:15 pm

Department/faculty: Civil Engineering and Geosciences 
Level: PhD degree (prof)
Working hours: 38 hours per week
Contract: 5 years
Salary: €3.259 to €6.039 per month gross

TU Delft Faculty of Civil Engineering and Geosciences

TU Delft Logo

The Faculty of Civil Engineering and Geosciences provides leading, international research and education. Innovation and sustainability are central themes. Research addresses societal issues. Research and education are closely interwoven. The faculty consists of the departments of Transport & Planning, Structural Engineering, Geosciences & Engineering, Water management, Hydraulic Engineering and Geoscience & Remote Sensing

The Department Transport & Planning (T&P) focuses on the planning, design, operation and management of transport systems, addressing road transport, public transport and passenger and freight transport systems. T&P consists of 50-60 staff members, of which 20 permanent. The department is responsible for the T&P track in the MSc Civil Engineering, the TU Delft Transport Institute and coordinates the interfaculty Master Transport, Infrastructure & Logistics. The department is the only research group in Civil Engineering in the Netherlands that was awarded the maximum score at all research assessments during the last 15 years.

Job description

Scientific research activities will focus on new assessment methods that support the planning and design of transport systems. Traditionally, congestion in transport systems was addressed by planning new or extending existing transport infrastructure. Today a wider range of measures that aim at smart and sustainable use of available transport networks is considered. As a consequence, there is a need for innovations in methodologies for the quantitative assessment of these measures for all relevant effects: economic, environmental, safety and spatial. Apart from extending and elaborating the assessment framework, there is also a need for methodologies that can be used in quick scan analyses.
Candidates will contribute to the initiation, acquisition and execution of research projects, including supervision of MSc and PhD students. Close cooperation with other members of the scientific staff of the department and wider university and developing relationships with practitioners are essential.
Educational activities will include redesigning the MSc course CIE 4760 Infrastructure projects: assessment and planning, contributing to the BSc course Impacts of Transport Infrastructure on economy and environment and supervision of BSc as well as MSc students.

Requirements

You have an MSc and PhD degree in a relevant subject, preferably Civil Engineering. You can demonstrate outstanding research potential and have published in peer-reviewed, international scientific journals or can show an innovative design and engineering portfolio. You have a holistic, integral approach combined with a strong background in quantitative methodologies and modelling. You are able to connect scientific methods and results to practical applications. Inspiring lecturing skills and excellent command of the English language are considered crucial. Non-Dutch speaking candidates will commit to learn Dutch within 2 years after appointment.

The position offered is a tenure-track position for a period of 5 years, leading to a permanent position assuming good performance in scientific research, project acquisition and education. Depending on your experience you are appointed as assistant tenure track professor (€ 3.259 – € 6.039 per month gross). You will participate in the Tenure Track program to further develop your educational, research and personal skills. You will work in a multidisciplinary team that conducts cutting-edge academic transport research and which has a state of the art transport lab. The team actively connects research results to innovative real world projects and is supervising an increasing number of MSc and PhD students.

Conditions of employment

TU Delft offers an attractive benefits package, including a flexible work week, free high-speed Internet access from home (with a contract of two years or longer), and the option of assembling a customised compensation and benefits package (the ‘IKA’). Salary and benefits are in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities.
TU Delft sets specific standards for the English competency of the teaching staff. TU Delft offers training to improve English competency. If you have less than five years of experience and have not yet obtained your Basic Teaching Qualification, we allow you up to three years to obtain this.

Information and application

More information about these positions can be found at http://www.citg.tudelft.nl/en/about-faculty/departments/transport-and-planning/vacancies/. You may also contact Prof. B. van Arem, phone: +31 (0)15-2786342, e-mail: B.vanArem@tudelft.nl. To apply, please e-mail a detailed CV and a letter of application by 11 April 2014 to D.W.A.M. Verbunt, Recruitment-CiTG@tudelft.nl. When applying for one these position, please mention the position and refer to vacancy number CITG14-11.

Inquiries from agencies are not appreciated.

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Call for Papers – 1st International Road Federation (IRF) Asia Regional Congress – Oct. 27-29, 2014 @ Bali, Indonesia

February 26, 2014 at 6:13 pm

Image Courtesy: IRFnew.org

On behalf of the International Road Federation (IRF) and the Indonesia Ministry of Public Works, the Technical and Scientific Committee of the 1st IRF Asia Regional Congress & Exhibition invites surface transportation experts and researchers from around the world to submit paper abstracts for evaluation.

Under the theme “Building the Trans-Asian Highway,” this one-of-a-kind event will provide a unique setting for sharing proven and innovative solutions for the region’s mobility demands, latest industry technologies and global best practices and how they can be replicated and/or modified to meet the region’s specific needs.

The event will feature a Ministerial Session, as well as Plenary, Executive, Technical and Applied Knowledge Sessions.

Why Participate?

  • High level Ministerial Session
  • 1,000 local & International delegates
  • Innovation forum & live technical demonstrations
  • Networks with key decision makers from the region
  • Exhibition featuring the latest products & technologies

Abstract Guidelines (no cost to submit)

The abstract should be written in English, readily understandable to most readers and may contain a maximum of 200 words. Abstracts should be submitted in the following thematic areas:

  • Asset Management
  • Disaster Mitigation & Recovery
  • Pavements & Materials
  • Road Financing / PPPs
  • Road Safety
  • Sustainable Transport
  • Technology & Innovation
The deadline for submissions is May 2, 2014
To submit an abstract, click here 

For more information, please contact:

Magid Elabyad
Vice President, International Programs & Member Services
Tel: +1 703 535 1001
Email: melabyad@IRFnews.org

For information about the congress, visit the event website.  Scroll below to view the Preliminary Program .
[gview file=”https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B-9pZ0X5J8D7T0Faa0hnSlRtX1E/edit?usp=sharing” save=”1″]

Training Opportunity: Register for Eno Center’s Public Private Partnership Training Course

February 13, 2014 at 8:01 am
Use Code  “Transportgooru” and receive a $150 discount during registration.
 
The Eno Center for Transportation has developed a new training course titled Partnering with the Private Sector.  This online course is 40 hours long, and is delivered over a four week span beginning on March 10th. Despite being entirely online, students interact with others, including course mentors/instructors Roy Kienitz and Dr. Michael Meyer.  Students “learn by doing,” and take on the role of a P3 project manager.  After learning the basics of P3s, students are given exercises in developing project scope and managing the work of private sector partners.  This course is appropriate for mid and senior level professionals, and provides Professional Engineers with 40 PDH (other types of professional education credit may be available).
Registration:  

The course fee is $3,000.  To register, click hereUse Code  “Transportgooru” and receive a $150 discount during registration. 

Deadline to Apply: Wednesday, February 26

For more information and registration, visit: https://www.enotrans.org/course/p3
Instruction Method and Mentors
This course is conducted online, but features interactivity with other students and course mentors.  Eno developed a course portal that houses all course content.  To see how our online portal works, please click here.  Students in this course learn by doing.  After learning the basics of P3s, students complete mock assignments leading to the delivery of a P3 project.The learning experience is enhanced by two qualified course mentors:Roy Kienitz, Principal of Roy Keinitz LLC, is the former Under Secretary for Policy at the United States Department of Transportation. He also served as former Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell’s Deputy Chief of Staff. Currently Mr. Keinitz works on major project development and implementation strategies, drawing on his diverse transportation policy experience.Dr. Michael D. Meyer is a consultant with Parsons Brinckerhoff. Prior to this position he was a Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology. He also served as Director of Transportation Planning and Development for Massachusetts where he was responsible for statewide planning, project development, traffic engineering, and transportation research.

Who Should Attend
A wide variety of individuals should consider signing up for the course, including: Mid- to senior level professionals and State/City Departments of Transportation, transit agencies, metropolitan planning organizations, and local governments; Federal employees involved in P3s for transportation; and Professionals from the private sector who assist public sector agencies implementing P3s.

Professional Development Hours
Through the course students will be able to earn up to 40 Pofessional Development Hours (PDH). Other types of professional education may be available. To inquire contact Alex Bond, abond@enotrans.org or 202-879-4714.

Course Dates and Schedule
The course will run from March 10 through April 4. Each week has a distinct lesson plan and assignments, although most course activities are flexible or available on-demand. Students should be prepared to devote 8-12 hours per week to course activities.  To see examples of how students receive course material, view these screen captures.

Future Course Offerings
This course will be offered 4-5 times each year. To learn more about future course offerings please contact Alex Bond at 202-879-4714 or abond@enotrans.org

Q: What previous experience do I need to take this course?
A: This course is intended for established transportation professionals who want to expand their knowledge on P3s. No prior experience with P3s is required. However, the course assumes a moderate level of knowledge of transportation systems.

Q: Is this course only about toll roads?
A: This course was designed to be multimodal.

Q: What do I receive upon completion of the course?
A: You will receive a certificate of completion. In addition, your course fee provides you with one year of individual regular membership to the Eno Center (up to a $200 value). Licensed Professional Engineers will receive forty Professional Development Units (PDU). If you are interested in another type of continuing education credit, such as AICP-CM or IACET Continuing Education Units (CEU), please contact Alex Bond at 202-879-4714 or abond@enotrans.org. Eno is in the process of partnering with other organizations that offer P3 professional credentials. All students who have taken the course will be eligible for any credentials established in the future. For more information on P3 credentialing, visit the Institute for Public Private Partnerships.

Q: How much time per week is needed to complete the course? Are times flexible?
A: The course is designed to be flexible, but also keep you on task. You should expect to spend ten hours per week on the course. There are weekly topics and assignments that you are expected to complete. Only an hour or two per week are on a fixed schedule. The remainder will be spent viewing on-demand recorded content, interacting with the course mentors, reading at your own pace, and preparing assignments for review.

Q: What if I need help?
A: Course mentors are available by phone, video chat, and email to provide you as much assistance and advice as you need. They are available by email at any time. You will have tools available to reserve appointment times for deeper discussion with the mentors.

Q: What if I get too busy and cannot complete the course?
A: If you find that you cannot continue, please notify the mentors and CTL staff.  In certain circumstances, extensions can be granted, particularly in the final week of the course. Eno is not able to offer refunds. However, you can enroll in another offering of the course at a later date (the course if offered 4-5 times per year) on a space-available basis.  When re-enrolling, you may be required to begin the course from the start

Q: Why is this course offered online, and over such a long time frame?
A: By offering the course online, you will not incur travel expenses and disruptions to your daily routine.  By offering it over a four-week span, you will be able to keep up with most of your regular work duties. In the future, a compressed version of the course may be offered. Please let us know if you are interested in this type of class. 

Video: How Many Americans Want to Live in a Driverless-City? Intel’s Futurist Discusses Future of Driverless Cars and Cities

February 12, 2014 at 5:50 pm

(Source: Bloomberg)

Intel Futurist Steve Brown discusses the future of driverless cars and cities on Bloomberg Television’s “Bloomberg West.” Transportation and City planners better start thinking already because we know your long-range plans drafted a decade or so ago is rendered useless by the fast paced evolution of computing and automobile technology (agree with Steve that the technology is coming but it may be more than a decade away). It is time to think different and act fast!

Job Alert: (Upcoming Position) Research Transportation Specialist – USDOT Federal Highway Administration – Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center @ McLean, VA

February 7, 2014 at 12:08 pm

Federal Highway Administration – Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center

Upcoming Position: Research Transportation Specialist

Image courtesy. www.DOT.gov

Image courtesy. www.dot.gov

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is looking for a Research Transportation Specialist (GS-12/13) to lead state-of the-art transportation operations research projects at the nationally recognized Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center in McLean, Virginia.  This position is for a junior or mid-level professional in the Transportation Operations Applications Team in the Office of Operations Research and Development (R&D).  The incumbent is experienced in research related to one or more of the following areas:

(a) Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS),
(b) traffic adaptive control systems,
(c) freeway management systems,
(d) wireless communications systems, and/or
(e) cooperative vehicle-highway systems to help achieve the FHWA’s system performance strategic goal.

This position provides an exciting opportunity to work in a collaborative environment at the Saxton Transportation Operations Laboratory and with nationally recognized experts on meaningful cutting edge research projects such as the connected vehicle initiative and vehicle automation, as well as nearer-term applied problems in transportation operations.  The incumbent will be expected to guide in-house research, manage extramural contracts, and encourage partnerships for on-site research at our Cooperative Vehicle-Highway Testbed, as well as offsite field research on public or private roads and/or test tracks. The ideal candidate will preferably have an advanced degree in an engineering or scientific field, with course work related to one or more aspects of ITS, traffic engineering, or telecommunications.  He/she should have 5 or more years of relevant work experience.  Strong leadership, organization and people skills are a must.

FHWA expects to announce the position soon.  The office will not be accepting resumes, please refer to the USA Jobs web site periodically for the specific vacancy announcement:  https://www.usajobs.gov/

Also see: http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/research/tfhrc/labs/operations/

Contact:  Ben McKeever, 202-493-3270 or ben.mckeever@dot.gov