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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Transportation Planner Intern

💰 $18 - $30 / hour

TransportationUrban PlanningInternshipGISCivil Engineering

🎯 Role Definition

As a Transportation Planner Intern, you will support multidisciplinary teams to advance planning, design, and evaluation of transportation systems. In this hands-on internship you will assist with data collection and analysis, mapping and visualization, public engagement, and technical documentation to help shape multimodal, equitable, and sustainable transportation projects. This role is ideal for students or early-career professionals seeking experience in transit planning, traffic engineering, GIS, travel demand forecasting, and policy implementation.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Undergraduate or graduate student in Urban Planning, Civil Engineering, Geography, Public Policy, Transportation Engineering, or related fields.
  • Recent graduate with coursework or capstone project in transportation planning, GIS, or data analysis.
  • Volunteer or part-time research assistant on transportation or sustainability projects.

Advancement To:

  • Transportation Planner / Planner I
  • Transit Planner or Mobility Planner
  • Transportation Analyst or Data Analyst (transportation focus)
  • Traffic Engineer (with engineering license pathway)
  • Project Planner / Project Manager for transportation projects

Lateral Moves:

  • GIS Analyst (transportation focus)
  • Urban Designer or Land Use Planner
  • Environmental Planner with transportation specialization

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Assist senior planners with collecting, cleaning, and validating transportation datasets including traffic counts, origin-destination surveys, transit ridership, bicycle and pedestrian counts, crash records, and land use inventories; prepare well-documented datasets suitable for analysis and presentation.
  • Perform exploratory and applied data analysis using Excel, Python, R, or SQL to identify trends, peak-period conditions, ridership patterns, and mode share shifts that inform planning recommendations and project prioritization.
  • Produce professional maps and spatial analyses using ArcGIS Pro, QGIS, or similar GIS tools to visualize travel demand, transit coverage, equity metrics, bicycle and pedestrian networks, and other spatial indicators for technical memos and public materials.
  • Support travel demand modeling and scenario analysis with tools such as TransCAD, EMME, VISUM or model inputs/outputs (trip generation, trip distribution, mode choice, network assignment) under the guidance of modeling staff.
  • Conduct field data collection tasks including manual and automated traffic counts, pedestrian/bicycle observations, transit rider surveys, and parking utilization assessments while ensuring safety and data quality procedures are followed.
  • Assist with traffic operations and signal studies by extracting and analyzing intersection-level metrics (volume-to-capacity ratios, delay, queue lengths) and preparing input data for microsimulation tools like VISSIM, Synchro, or SIDRA where applicable.
  • Help prepare clear, technically accurate memos, reports, and technical appendices that summarize methods, results, assumptions, and actionable recommendations for internal teams, clients, and funding agencies.
  • Create compelling visualizations and dashboards in Tableau, Power BI, or Python libraries (Matplotlib, Seaborn) to communicate findings to stakeholders and non-technical audiences, emphasizing accessibility and clarity.
  • Support transit planning tasks including route performance analysis, schedule adherence assessment, stop-level ridership analysis, and cost-effectiveness comparisons to inform service adjustments and pilot programs.
  • Assist in development and evaluation of multimodal plans (bike, pedestrian, transit, micromobility) by identifying network gaps, low-stress routes, accessibility barriers, and opportunities for complete streets interventions.
  • Participate in community engagement and public involvement activities such as open houses, focus groups, workshops, and online surveys; prepare materials, present findings, record feedback, and synthesize input for project teams.
  • Compile and manage project documentation, maintaining version control for datasets, CAD/GIS files, technical memos, and public-facing deliverables; follow agency or firm standards for file naming and metadata.
  • Conduct literature reviews and policy scans on emerging trends (e.g., microtransit, e-scooters, autonomous vehicles, equity-centered planning) and summarize implications for local or regional planning efforts.
  • Support grant writing and funding applications by assembling technical appendices, data summaries, benefit-cost inputs, and required attachments for federal, state, regional, or foundation programs.
  • Assist with corridor and site-level planning tasks including preliminary geometric design sketches, multimodal retrofit concepts, and feasibility assessments in coordination with engineers and designers.
  • Help evaluate safety data and collision patterns using crash databases and Vision Zero frameworks to prioritize interventions and develop data-driven safety strategies for vulnerable road users.
  • Contribute to environmental review support by compiling baseline conditions, project descriptions, and preliminary impact assessments tied to NEPA or local CEQA workflows as directed.
  • Coordinate with transportation agencies, municipal staff, and stakeholders to request data, clarify scope, and ensure project tasks align with agency standards and regulatory requirements.
  • Support performance measurement and monitoring by developing metrics, compiling baseline indicators, and helping set up tools to track outcomes for implemented projects (ridership, travel times, safety).
  • Assist in preparing conceptual plans and public-ready materials such as exhibits, infographics, and summary fact sheets tailored to diverse audiences and accessible formats.
  • Provide quality assurance and QC checks on analytical outputs, GIS layers, modeling inputs, and report text to ensure accuracy, reproducibility, and adherence to project methodologies.
  • Stay current on transportation planning tools, federal/state guidance, and best practices; attend team trainings, webinars, and planning conferences to build technical capacity and apply new methods to projects.

Secondary Functions

  • Support ad-hoc data requests and exploratory data analysis for cross-functional teams and partner agencies.
  • Contribute to the organization's data strategy and roadmap by suggesting standardization approaches for transportation datasets and metadata.
  • Collaborate with business units and project leads to translate data needs into technical requirements and recommend appropriate tools and workflows.
  • Participate in sprint planning, agile ceremonies, and weekly check-ins to align internship activities with project milestones and team deliverables.
  • Assist with administrative tasks such as meeting scheduling, note-taking, invoice tracking for project expenses, and maintaining contact lists for stakeholder outreach.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Proficiency with GIS software such as ArcGIS Pro, ArcMap, or QGIS for mapping, spatial analysis, and geoprocessing workflows.
  • Experience with spreadsheet-based analysis in Excel (pivot tables, advanced formulas) and familiarity with data cleaning techniques.
  • Basic programming or scripting skills in Python or R for data manipulation, visualization, and reproducible workflows.
  • Familiarity with travel demand modeling concepts and software (TransCAD, EMME, VISUM) or willingness to learn model inputs/outputs and scenario testing.
  • Experience or exposure to traffic analysis and microsimulation tools (Synchro, VISSIM, HCS) or the ability to support data preparation for these tools.
  • Comfort with database queries (SQL) or working with large tabular datasets from transit agencies, MPOs, or DOTs.
  • Experience creating data visualizations and dashboards in Tableau, Power BI, or using Python visualization libraries (Matplotlib, Seaborn).
  • Knowledge of transportation data sources such as National Transit Database (NTD), ACS, StreetLight/INRIX/Here, or travel survey data.
  • Familiarity with public engagement techniques, survey design, and stakeholder outreach platforms (SurveyMonkey, Google Forms, Bang the Table, or similar).
  • Basic drafting and CAD or graphics skills (AutoCAD, Adobe Illustrator, InDesign) for preparing concept exhibits and plan sheets.
  • Ability to conduct safety and crash pattern analysis, and understanding of Vision Zero principles and equity-focused planning metrics.
  • Understanding of multimodal network concepts (level of traffic stress for bicycles, ADA accessibility standards, complete streets principles).

Soft Skills

  • Clear written communication for technical memos, public materials, and email correspondence.
  • Strong verbal presentation skills for client meetings, public workshops, and internal briefings.
  • Collaborative team player comfortable working in multidisciplinary teams and across agencies.
  • Strong attention to detail with an emphasis on data accuracy, documentation, and reproducibility.
  • Proactive problem-solving mindset and ability to take initiative under supervision.
  • Time management and prioritization skills to balance multiple tasks in a fast-paced project environment.
  • Cultural competence and a commitment to equity and inclusive engagement practices.
  • Adaptability and willingness to learn new tools, methods, and domain knowledge quickly.
  • Critical thinking to interpret analytical results and translate insights into actionable recommendations.
  • Professionalism and strong interpersonal skills when interacting with agency partners, clients, and the public.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • Currently enrolled in or recently completed a Bachelor's degree in Urban Planning, Transportation Planning, Civil Engineering, Geography, Public Policy, Environmental Science, or closely related field.

Preferred Education:

  • Pursuing or completed a Master's degree in Transportation Planning, Urban Planning, Civil Engineering (transportation), or Data Analytics with transportation coursework.

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Urban and Regional Planning
  • Transportation Engineering
  • Civil Engineering
  • Geography / GIS
  • Public Policy / Public Administration
  • Environmental Planning / Sustainability

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

  • 0–2 years; internship-level experience or relevant academic project work, capstones, or research assistantships.

Preferred:

  • Prior internship or practicum in transportation planning, GIS, transit agencies, MPOs, DOTs, or consulting firms.
  • Classroom or project experience using GIS, travel demand modeling concepts, traffic analysis fundamentals, or public engagement activities.
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