Traffic engineers might be called the guardians of the highways. Their job is to design and plan safe roads and highways. After traffic engineers decide what kinds of roads are needed, they must find the most economical way to provide and maintain them. Traffic engineers also plan and help operate public transportation systems, including bus, subway, and train lines. Traffic engineers try to make traffic flow smoothly without accidents or tie ups. Many traffic engineers work in the highway or street department of state or city government. Others work for federal highway agencies or county highway departments. Traffic engineers can also work for private consulting firms, educational institutions, or industries.
Traffic engineers who work for state governments are mainly concerned with interstate highways or primary state roads. These roads carry heavy traffic over long distances. Traffic engineers do "need studies" to see what kinds of new high ways are needed. They determine how many trucks, buses, and cars can be expected to use a new road from one city to another. Traffic engineers work with highway engineers and location engineers to figure out the safest, most economical path for a new highway. Location engineers study the topography of land surface and determine the actual costs of building a new highway or road. When interstate turnpikes are built, exits, overpasses, cloverleafs, and rest areas must be planned carefully.
Traffic engineers who work for city governments have to deal with parking problems, traffic jams, and public transit routes. In some large cities several traffic engineers may have the sole responsibility of timing the traffic lights.
Because highways are funded by tax money, traffic engineers must present their plans for new highways and for roadwork to government officials for approval. The engineers must prove that new highways will benefit the public.
One of the most difficult tasks the traffic engineer tackles is to predict highway use in future years. Engineers gather data about population, housing, commercial development, and existing traffic patterns. With these data they use statistical methods to project future highway use.
Traffic engineers are also responsible for managing the traffic flow on roads. Engineers keep track of road use by counting the number of vehicles. Engineers may use calculators or monitor underground pneumatic tubes, radar, and photo electric detectors to count vehicles. Traffic counts are useful to determine such matters as whether a road should be widened from two to four lanes. Traffic engineers keep in touch with road maintenance crews so that they can keep abreast of current road conditions. They are particularly concerned about preventing accidents. They keep records of accidents so that they can identify possible causes. Engineers make high accident areas safer, sometimes by putting up a new sign or removing a tree that blocks vision.
Education and Training
You must have a bachelor's degree in engineering to become a traffic engineer. Some colleges offer specific traffic engineering programs. Your courses should include transportation, statistics, city planning, highway economics, physics, systems analysis, computing, and computer aided design (CAD). Many traffic engineers have graduate degrees. Graduate programs in traffic engineering may include courses on traffic flow theory and freeway exit design. Large highway departments sometimes have training programs for people who have completed their formal degree programs.
Getting the Job
Your college or graduate school placement service may be able to help you find a job. Contact the civil service commission to find out about government jobs. You can also contact engineering consultants, public transportation companies, and automobile manufacturers directly. Check the want ads in your local newspaper and Internet job banks.
Employment Outlook
Advancement depends on a solid educational background and experience. Traffic engineers may start out by counting traffic or making charts. After gaining experience in different phases of traffic engineering, they may be assigned to one area of traffic control, such as the regulation of stoplights. With experience traffic engineers can become chief engineers or officers of the highway department. Some traffic engineers start their own consulting businesses. Others take high level jobs with automakers, redevelopment authorities, or safety commissions.
The outlook for traffic engineers is very good through the year 2006. As the population increases and continues to move to suburban areas, traffic engineers will be needed to control traffic and plan transit systems. They also will be needed to work on designs involving new technologies, such as electronic toll collection, cameras for traffic incidents, and fiber optics for use in road signs. Traffic engineering is a demanding field that provides many opportunities for imaginative, qualified engineers.
Working Conditions
Traffic engineers usually work 40 hours a week, although they may have to put in extra hours on projects such as the study of weekend traffic patterns. Engineers spend much time in the office preparing plans and analyzing data. However, they spend some time out on the roads, examining the sites of accidents or checking road safety. Sometimes traffic engineers observe traffic flow from the air in helicopters. Traffic engineers often go before government officials to present plans and proposals. They should be able to speak clearly and write precise reports. Many traffic engineers change employers frequently to work on highway projects in various parts of the country.
Earnings and Benefits
Beginning traffic engineers earn salaries that average $34,700 a year. Experienced traffic engineers average about $41,300 to $62,000 a year. Many chief engineers or experienced consultants earn a great deal more.
Engineers who work for the government in civil service jobs receive benefits including health and life insurance and paid vacations. Most other engineers receive similar benefits from their employers.
