What are the responsibilities and job description for the Transit Planner Community Specialist position at Metrobus?
Salary : $53,000.00 - $67,108.00 Annually
Location : 416 Kenmore Blvd, Akron
Job Type : Full-Time
Job Number : 202500012
Division : Culture, Planning, Safety, Security
Department : Planning and Strategic Development
Opening Date : 02 / 18 / 2025
Closing Date : 3 / 10 / 2025 11 : 59 PM Eastern
Description
Position Summary :
This Transit Planner will have a strong focus as a community specialist responsible for enhancing community engagement, coordinating Title VI compliance efforts, and conducting outreach activities aimed at improving transit services. This role works closely with the Senior Planner, the Director of Planning, and the broader planning team to ensure that operational decisions are both data-driven and community-centered.
Reporting Relationships :
Position Reports to : Senior Planner
Direct Report by Title : None
Indirect Reports by Title : None
Number of Reports : Direct - 0, Indirect - 0
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform the essential job functions satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential job functions described in this job description. As not every duty associated with this position may be described herein, employees may be required to perform duties not specifically spelled out in this job description, but which may be reasonably considered incidental in the performing of the duties just as though they were actually written out.
Examples of Duties
Essential Job Functions :
- Route & Service Planning
- Collaborates on service proposals with the Senior Planner and the other Transit Planner to incorporate community feedback into short- and long-term route and schedule recommendations.
- Conducts periodic site visits to observe service operations, identify rider needs, and propose improvements.
- Gathers and interprets data from various sources (CAD / AVL, APC, farebox, community surveys) to inform planning decisions and measure the success of outreach initiatives.
- Public Engagement :
- Lead public engagement and manage a feedback tracking system.
- Designs and administers community and rider surveys to gather feedback on service quality, accessibility, and overall rider experiences.
- Attends neighborhood association meetings, public open houses, and other local events to share transit information and gather stakeholder input.
- Collaborates with the marketing or communications team to create educational materials, presentations, and social media content for service updates or new initiatives.
- Data Management :
- Manages Title VI activities by overseeing ongoing compliance, preparing or updating Title VI plans, coordinating the triennial report, and conducting major service change analyses.
- Analyzes demographic and ridership data to recommend adjustments that promote equity and mitigate potential service disparities.
- Utilizes Remix software to model route scenarios, assess potential equity impacts, and aid in Title VI compliance documentation.
- Assists as needed in providing data for National Transit Database submissions, as well as any local, state, or federal grant requirements.
- Collaboration :
- Collaborate directly with the Senior Planner on equity analyses by providing qualitative data from public outreach.
- Draft sections of the triennial Title VI program related to public participation.
- Partners with other departments (e.g., Operations, Marketing, Customer Service, Dispatch) to ensure that community feedback and equity considerations shape decision-making.
- Acts as a liaison between the planning department and community stakeholders, riders, ensuring timely responses to questions, comments, and concerns.
- Works with legal, grants, and other teams to ensure alignment with federal civil rights obligations, timely submission of relevant documentation, and successful implementation of initiatives.
- Other Duties
- Maintain awareness of new trends and developments in the fields related to the area of assignment.
- Performs other related duties as assigned.
- Regular attendance is an essential function of this job.
Typical Qualifications
Physical Requirements & Working Conditions : Job requires incumbent to sit, talk / listen and use hands to obtain data for planning department matters. Must be able to stand, walk, reach with hands and arms, and lift up to 30 pounds. Work is typically performed indoors but incumbent is occasionally exposed to dust, fumes / odors, working around moving objects. Stress from contacts with the general public, individual citizen contact and deadlines under pressure is common.
Communication & Administrative Skills :
Interpersonal Skills :
Cognitive Skills :
Supplemental Information
Experience and / or Educational Requirements :
Bachelor's degree in Regional / Urban Planning, Geography, Transportation, Economics, Political Science, Environmental Science or related field; valid Ohio driver's license; 0-3 years of relevant experience; or any combination of education, training and work experience which provides the required skill sets to perform the essential functions of the job.
Core Values : Teamwork :
Safety :
People Centric :
Service Excellence :
Integrity :
Action Ready :
When applying, please provide any previous employer's contact information for up to the past 12 years.
We offer a complete benefits package to full-time employees including health care, dental, vision, retirement, deferred compensation plans, flexible spending accounts, life insurance, long-term disability, holidays, vacation, and sick leave.
Salary : $53,000 - $67,108
