Transportation Planner​/Senior Transportation Planner

WHO WE ARE

The Metropolitan Council's Transportation Services (MTS) Division is accepting applications for a Transportation Planner OR Senior Transportation Planner.

We are the Metropolitan Council, the regional government for the seven-county Twin Cities metropolitan area. We plan 20 years ahead for the future of the metropolitan area and provide regional parks and trails, transportation, wastewater, and housing services. More information about us on our website.

We are committed to hiring and supporting a diverse workforce that reflects the communities we serve.

Metropolitan Transportation Services (MTS) conducts planning for the regional transportation system that includes highways, transit, aviation, freight, and bicycle and pedestrian connections. The Metropolitan Council is the region's federally designated Metropolitan Planning Organization.

The Metropolitan Council regional transportation planning division develops the overarching transportation policy plan for the region (as the designated MPO for the Twin Cities metropolitan area, this division provides for a continuing, coordinated, comprehensive transportation planning process). Depending on the area of assignment, planners work in transit and highway planning, transit way planning and development, development of the regional transportation improvement program, review of municipal comprehensive plans, travel forecasting, freight planning, air quality monitoring, regional aviation system planning, and participation in the development of other transportation-related plans, programs or policies.

How your work would contribute to our organization and the Twin Cities region:
The Transportation Planner or Senior Transportation Planner hired into this role will join a team of transportation professionals from various backgrounds including planning, engineering, geography, data scientists, outreach, and research, with work values centered on putting people first, working together, and adapting to change.

This position will specifically work in two crucial roles in transportation planning for the region: coordination of local plan review for transportation and regional transportation policy development.

The role of coordinating local plan review for transportation will provide a complete approach to the transportation division's role of translating the region's long-range transportation plan for local governments, coordinating the creation of technical resources for planners working on local plans, and reviewing plans for conformance, consistency, and compatibility. The entire transportation planning team supports this work, but one staff person coordinates the work of the team to ensure it is consistent, track progress, and identify opportunities for improvement.

The person in this role will also facilitate transportation elements of environmental reviews required by the Council. This can include reviewing transportation elements of large development proposals (e.g., alternative urban area reviews) or leading the Council's review of environmental documentation for regionally significant transportation projects. This role will lead the coordination of 2050 comprehensive Plan reviews for transportation planning for all cities and counties in the region, which are due by end of 2028.

The role of regional transportation policy development will consist of conducting important research on emerging policy issues, facilitating regional conversations around policy topics, and coordinating or leading a process to develop regional policies for the Transportation Policy Plan. A transportation planner will support other staff working on policy development with research and coordination of the process. A senior planner will lead the policy development process and provide direction to the work of other staff across multiple policy areas in addition to conducting research and coordinating the process.

This will include a major review or overhaul of policies and actions in the Transportation Policy Plan every 5 to 10 years. In the interim years, policy work will focus on interpreting regional policies and actions into other products like the Regional Solicitation project selection, major investment studies, and comprehensive plan guidance and tools. This role requires a dynamic and creative thinker that can both come up with original ideas and tailor ideas to the Council's authority and roles.

The person in this role will work with a broad cross-section of regional stakeholders given their role on comprehensive planning and regional policy. This will include major transportation partners like MnDOT and transit providers, local governments like counties and cities, other state agencies like Minnesota Policy Control Agency and the Department of Natural Resources, and community representatives and technical experts in other roles.

The role will also collaborate extensively within the Council, namely with Community Development.

Note:

The salary displayed is the full salary range. The…