Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Urban Transport Project Technician

🎯 Role Definition

The Urban Transport Project Technician supports planning, design, construction and operational activities for urban transport projects. This role performs field data collection and surveying, processes and analyzes traffic and asset data, prepares technical drawings and reports, coordinates with contractors and stakeholders, and assists engineers and project managers to ensure projects are delivered on time, on budget and to specification. Ideal candidates combine hands-on field experience (traffic counts, site inspections, survey), technical software skills (AutoCAD, GIS, traffic modeling tools), and strong communication to liaise across multidisciplinary teams.

Key SEO terms: Urban Transport Project Technician, traffic data analysis, GIS mapping, transportation engineering technician, traffic signal timing, ITS support, construction inspection, asset management.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Junior Field Technician or Traffic Data Collector with hands-on site experience.
Technician roles in civil construction, road maintenance, or utilities.
Graduate or intern positions in transportation planning, GIS, or surveying.

Advancement To:

Senior Transport Technician / Lead Technician
Transportation Engineer or Traffic Engineer (with professional qualification)
Project Coordinator / Assistant Project Manager in transport projects

Lateral Moves:

GIS Analyst (transportation focus)
Asset Management Technician / Roadways Asset Coordinator

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Plan, coordinate and conduct manual and automated traffic counts, turning movement counts, pedestrian and bicycle counts, and road user surveys in accordance with established data collection protocols to support transport planning and engineering design.
Perform field inspections and site reconnaissance for proposed and active transport projects, documenting existing conditions, right-of-way constraints, pavement markings, signage, drainage, and safety hazards using photographs, notes and GPS.
Collect and QA/QC location-based data and metadata for transport assets (signals, signs, pavement, drainage, curb ramps) and maintain accurate asset inventories for use in maintenance and lifecycle planning.
Prepare and update detailed plan and profile drawings, as-built drawings and CAD deliverables for intersections, road reconstruction, traffic calming measures and pedestrian infrastructure using AutoCAD or MicroStation.
Process, clean, analyze and visualize traffic count, intersection, speed, volume and classification datasets using Excel, Python/R, SQL and specialized traffic software to produce actionable insights and input for modelling.
Create, maintain and publish GIS layers and maps (ArcGIS / QGIS) for corridor studies, network asset inventories, signal timing plans, and project staging, ensuring spatial accuracy and metadata compliance.
Assist in development, calibration and validation of traffic simulation and modeling inputs for Synchro, VISSIM, Aimsun or VISUM to evaluate intersection performance and corridor-level operations.
Support traffic signal timing and phasing activities including preparation of timing spreadsheets, signal cabinet settings verification, coordination with vendors and on-street commissioning and verification.
Conduct pavement condition assessments, signage condition surveys and other asset condition inspections, recording data for prioritization of repairs and capital works programs.
Supervise and inspect construction activities and traffic management during works on streets and intersections, ensuring contractor compliance with drawings, specifications, temporary traffic control plans and health & safety requirements.
Prepare and review technical reports, memos, design calculations, cost estimates and tender documentation for small-to-medium scale transport projects and capital improvement programs.
Coordinate procurement and testing of traffic equipment (counters, pneumatic tubes, Bluetooth/WiFi sensors, CCTV, signal controllers, ITS devices) and ensure correct calibration and deployment in the field.
Liaise with utility providers, local authorities, landowners and external stakeholders to obtain permits, coordinate access, and resolve field conflicts that affect design or construction timelines.
Support road safety audits and post-construction safety reviews, compiling collision data, performing observational safety checks and recommending low-cost safety improvements.
Monitor project schedules, track expenditures, prepare progress reports and raise issues/risks to project managers to help keep projects on time and within budget.
Manage the collection and integration of environmental baseline data and support environmental compliance monitoring (noise, drainage, sediment control) for transport construction works.
Assist with temporary traffic management planning including preparation of lane closure diagrams, pedestrian detours, site access plans and liaising with police and traffic control providers where required.
Undertake setting-out and survey tasks using total stations, GNSS/GPS equipment and laser levels to provide accurate construction control points and layout for contractor activities.
Prepare and maintain project documentation and digital records (as-built drawings, equipment manuals, commissioning certificates) in project management systems and document repositories.
Provide on-site technical support during commissioning of Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS), traffic signal upgrades and detector installations, validating telemetry, communications and SCADA interfaces.
Support community engagement and public consultation activities by preparing exhibits, technical summaries and attending public meetings to explain proposals and gather feedback.
Assist in developing maintenance schedules, lifecycle cost calculations and asset replacement plans by analyzing condition data and performance metrics.
Train and mentor junior technicians and temporary field staff in safe data collection methods, software workflows and equipment use, ensuring consistent quality across teams.
Implement and maintain quality assurance procedures for field data collection, CAD/GIS deliverables and technical reporting to ensure compliance with agency standards and industry best practices.

Secondary Functions

Support ad-hoc data requests and exploratory data analysis.
Contribute to the organization's data strategy and roadmap.
Collaborate with business units to translate data needs into engineering requirements.
Participate in sprint planning and agile ceremonies within the data engineering team.
Provide support for grant applications and funding submissions by supplying technical input, cost schedules and supporting maps/figures.
Assist the procurement team with technical specification writing, vendor evaluation and equipment acceptance testing.
Maintain and troubleshoot field data collection hardware, including battery management, sensor firmware updates and data transfer procedures.
Support emergency response and temporary traffic reconfiguration after incidents, coordinating rapid field surveys and short-term mitigation measures.
Participate in pilot deployments of emerging transport technologies such as connected vehicle testing, micromobility infrastructure and smart city integrations.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Traffic data collection and analysis (manual counts, pneumatic tubes, Bluetooth/WiFi sensors, video analytics) with experience preparing traffic data summaries and peak hour analyses.
Proficiency in AutoCAD, MicroStation or Civil 3D for producing plan sets, as-builts and construction drawings.
GIS mapping and spatial analysis using ArcGIS Pro or QGIS, including creation of thematic maps, network layers and spatial joins.
Familiarity with traffic modelling and simulation tools such as Synchro, VISSIM, Aimsun or VISUM and preparing model inputs/outputs.
Signal timing and traffic signal systems knowledge including setting phasing, cycle length and detector logic; experience with signal controllers (e.g., Siemens, Econolite).
Competence with survey equipment and techniques: total station, GNSS/GPS, leveling and topo survey workflows.
Data manipulation and analysis using Excel (advanced), SQL and scripting in Python or R for cleaning, aggregating and visualizing transport datasets.
Knowledge of transportation standards, road design manuals, MUTCD/ local traffic control standards and roadway safety audit procedures.
Experience with ITS hardware and communications (CCTV, loop detectors, radar, telemetry, SCADA interfaces) and commissioning processes.
Construction inspection and contract administration experience including dealing with change orders, non-conformance reports and punch lists.
Asset management and lifecycle assessment tools or processes, including pavement condition indexing and prioritization frameworks.
Familiarity with environmental monitoring and mitigation measures relevant to transport projects (erosion control, noise, stormwater).

Soft Skills

Strong written and verbal communication skills with experience drafting technical reports, stakeholder briefings and community materials.
Excellent attention to detail and documentation discipline for accurate record-keeping and compliance with engineering standards.
Effective stakeholder management and diplomacy when coordinating contractors, public agencies and community members.
Problem-solving mindset with the ability to synthesize field observations and data into practical engineering solutions.
Time management and prioritization skills to balance fieldwork, office deliverables and multiple concurrent projects.
Teamwork and collaboration across multi-disciplinary teams including planners, engineers, GIS analysts and contractors.
Adaptability to changing field conditions, tight schedules and evolving project scopes.
Customer-service orientation when responding to public enquiries and addressing resident concerns about works.
Ability to train and mentor junior staff, contractors and temporary surveyors in safe work methods and technical procedures.
High ethical standards and commitment to safety, compliance and quality assurance.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Diploma/Associate degree in Civil Engineering Technology, Transportation Technology, Surveying, GIS, or related technical discipline.

Preferred Education:

Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering, Transportation Engineering, Urban Planning, or a closely related field.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Civil Engineering / Civil Engineering Technology
Transportation Engineering / Transport Planning
Urban Planning or Urban Design
Geomatics / Surveying
Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
Environmental Engineering (transport focus)

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 2 - 6 years of relevant experience in transportation projects, field data collection, CAD/GIS production or construction inspection.

Preferred:

3+ years supporting urban transport, traffic engineering or roadway construction projects.
Demonstrated experience with traffic counts, signal timing, CAD drafting, GIS mapping and field inspection.
Prior exposure to traffic modelling tools (Synchro/VISSIM) and ITS commissioning is highly desirable.
Experience working with municipal, regional or state transport agencies and familiarity with procurement and permitting processes.