Transit Planner I/II

The Transit Planner works across the organization to plan, organize, and manage planning projects and programs. Manages and maintains bus stop locations and amenities to reflect the needs of the community. Working with internal staff and key stakeholders, communicates and implements service plans. Researches, evaluates, and develops both long- and short-range service plans for all transit services. 

EEO Employer

Gather, organize, interpret, and communicate detailed and accurate data related to bus stops and shelters, route schedules, ridership, operational characteristics, system performance, demographics, employment, development, road construction projects, planned events, and trends from various internal and external resources to facilitate service monitoring, planning, and delivery. Assist in developing short-term and long-term service plans including GIS and graphic support, option development and evaluation, staff and public communication, coordination with other departments, and plan implementation and monitoring.Key components of the job include the following:
Transit Planner I

• Evaluate current service levels, design, and amenities; forecast service demand and recommend improvements to projects, programs, and procedures. Identify local and regional transportation planning problems and priorities to support organizational goals.
• Use ESRI software to create and maintain spatial features within a geodatabase while streamlining data collection, input, and schemas for reporting to management, board, and community groups to plan, implement, and evaluate service improvements.
• Support planning studies including data collection and reporting to consultants.
• Prioritize work, set deadlines, define objectives, measure success, and recommend solutions. 
• Prepare, manage, and track agreements for maintaining poles, signage, shelters, lighting, and other associated improvements within public rights of way; ensure standard bus stop plans are maintained and are disseminated to developers and municipalities. 
• Maintain and evaluate inventory of existing physical bus stops and their amenities.
• Monitor developments and infrastructure improvements in current and anticipated service areas.
• Following industry best practices, ensure that service design and planning complies with applicable federal, state, and local policies, regulations, guidelines, and practices.
• Support federal, state, regional, and local agency reporting, including FTA, MDoT, Title VI plan, and environmental justice compliance.
• Attend meetings and trainings to remain current on operations and improve job performance. Interface with providers and other transportation agencies. Present information to board, committees, management, community partners, and professional meetings as necessary to communicate transportation proposals and gather input. Represents Metro in broad internal and external interagency initiatives. 
• Assist public outreach activities including arranging and attending meetings, preparing materials, gathering and analyzing feedback, and responding to questions and inquiries.
• Manage and coordinate with short- and longer-term service planning and special projects to ensure timely and successful completion of assigned projects.

Transit Planner II
Above functions plus:

• Participate in budgeting, strategic planning, APC counter certifications, socioeconomic surveys other passenger information gathering, grant administration, contract oversight and financial management.
• Conduct peer reviews by comparing service performance with peer transit agencies as well as identifying industrial trends and best practices by undertaking research and analysis related to service planning, data analysis, new mobility, and technologies. 
• Assist in bus stop improvement program including developing and maintaining bus stop layer/database, developing route/stop based information and updating relevant information in the bus stop layer/database.
• Prepare and present resolutions, reports, and other information to board of directors.
• Assist in grant applications and reporting as necessary.
• Act as project manager of transit planning projects as required. Prepare project scope, work plan, schedule and budget or RFPs for responsible projects.

May perform other duties, as assigned.

Transit Planner I

• Bachelor’s degree in planning, civil engineering, geography, public administration, economics, mathematics, computer science, or other related field from an accredited institution.
• Working knowledge of transit operations, data collection and analysis, municipal planning and urban design, land development ordinance and its applications, personal computers and planning-related computer software. Comfortable with delivering a difficult or uncomfortable answers; ability to prepare and analyze complex reports, present the results of research effectively in oral, written, and graphic form, establish and maintain effective working relationships with associates and members of the general public. 
• Takes personal responsibility for the quality and timeliness of the work performed. Achieves results with little oversight. Self-motivated.
• Ability to interpret and apply federal, state, and local regulations. 
• Strong organizational and prioritizing skills. Good skills in listening, meeting deadlines, working independently, and collaborating with others. 
• Possess and maintain a valid Michigan driver’s license.

Transit Planner II
Above requirements plus:

• Preferred minimum three years’ full-time, progressively responsible experience in public transportation, land use planning, grants management, mapping, data collection and analysis, or related field. 
• Experience with the principles and practice of data research, compilation, analysis, and reporting. Ability to define problems, establish facts, draw conclusions, and effectively communicate information.

Salary : $52,710 - $66,778