Transit Planning Coordinator Co-op

About the Transit Planning Team

The Transit Planning group undertakes a range of planning activities in support of the MBTA and MassDOT’s Rail and Transit Division. This work includes long-range systemwide investment plans, community- or corridor-specific planning studies, and the early planning and conceptual design for major capital investment projects, among other planning and policy assignments at the direction of the Secretary of Transportation, the MBTA General Manager, and the MassDOT Board.

The position requires the ability to work effectively in a team as well as represent the group professionally with internal stakeholders across a range of departments. The Transit Planning Group’s portfolio of projects is extensive and constantly evolving.

At the time of this posting, the group’s primary focus is on:

• MBTA Water Transportation Study: a project to study and design a regional network of MBTA ferry services to, from and between communities along the Massachusetts coast.
• State Rail Plan: a project aimed at addressing coordination between passenger and freight rail providers by identifying shared corridors, connections, and opportunities for integrated operations, culminating in a shared vision for the rail system in Massachusetts

The successful candidate will be familiar with transportation planning concepts, be able to manage their time effectively and juggle multiple tasks at one time, work collaboratively with others, and communicate clearly and effectively, both written and orally. The ability to think critically and the possession of a strong passion for transportation and the planning field are important attributes for the successful candidate.

A successful candidate for this position will be flexible and open to new challenges.

The Co-Op will work under the supervision of a member of the transit planning team and may work on the below projects:

• The update of a visual database of transit services across the Commonwealth, inclusive of both public and private transit services. This project will involve identifying and collating the coverage areas, routing, scheduling, and capacity of public and private buses, shuttles, and pooling services to identify gaps, overlapping service coverage, and opportunities for improved connections. The Co-Op may have the opportunity to summarize and present the findings from this report to internal and external stakeholders.
• A synthesis of regional transit plans, as produced by Massachusetts Regional Transit Authorities (RTAs). The Co-Op will summarize short- and long-range planning efforts of these agencies, identify areas of shared strengths and challenges, and highlight opportunities for cross-agency collaboration.
• Assistance with preparing for, staffing, and documenting public stakeholder meetings, both online and in-person. In some cases, the Co-Op would be expected to travel to meeting locations, which will always be transit accessible.
• There may also be opportunities to work on a range of other related transportation planning related topics.

Develop geospatial analysis, data visualization, and transportation analysis skills.

Assist with the development and implementation of statewide studies and projects, including reviewing deliverables, developing presentations and memos, note taking and developing meeting summaries, and logging invoices.

Conduct research assignments to support the team’s work.

Actively participate in team strategy sessions, internal and external stakeholder meetings, organization events, and other duties as necessary.

• Experience and interest in transit, transportation and/or land use planning.
• Experience with ArcGIS software, QGIS, or other GIS software programs.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, especially Microsoft Excel.
• Strong communication (both verbal and written) and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work in a fast paced, deadline-oriented environment, with multiple competing priorities/projects.
• Ability to work effectively in a small and collaborative team environment.
• Solution-oriented attitude with a strong attention to detail.
• Experience in…