Transportation Engineers — Tasks

Task statements

• Design or prepare plans for new transportation systems or parts of systems, such as airports, commuter trains, highways, streets, bridges, drainage structures, or roadway lighting.
• Check construction plans, design calculations, or cost estimations to ensure completeness, accuracy, or conformity to engineering standards or practices.
• Prepare administrative, technical, or statistical reports on traffic-operation matters, such as accidents, safety measures, or pedestrian volume or practices.
• Plan alteration or modification of existing transportation structures to improve safety or function.
• Confer with contractors, utility companies, or government agencies to discuss plans, specifications, or work schedules.
• Present data, maps, or other information at construction-related public hearings or meetings.
• Prepare final project layout drawings that include details such as stress calculations.
• Investigate traffic problems and recommend methods to improve traffic flow or safety.
• Estimate transportation project costs.
• Design or engineer drainage, erosion, or sedimentation control systems for transportation projects.
• Evaluate traffic control devices or lighting systems to determine need for modification or expansion.
• Prepare project budgets, schedules, or specifications for labor or materials.
• Inspect completed transportation projects to ensure safety or compliance with applicable standards or regulations.
• Review development plans to determine potential traffic impact.
• Evaluate transportation systems or traffic control devices or lighting systems to determine need for modification or expansion.
• Analyze environmental impact statements for transportation projects.
• Supervise the maintenance or repair of transportation systems or system components.
• Model transportation scenarios to evaluate the impacts of activities such as new development or to identify possible solutions to transportation problems.
• Inspect completed transportation projects to ensure compliance with environmental regulations.
• Participate in contract bidding, negotiation, or administration.
• Evaluate construction project materials for compliance with environmental standards.
• Direct the surveying, staking, or laying-out of construction projects.
• Design transportation systems or structures with sustainable materials or products, such as porous pavement or bioretention structures.
• Investigate or test specific construction project materials to determine compliance to specifications or standards.
• Develop or assist in the development of transportation-related computer software or computer processes.
• Develop plans to deconstruct damaged or obsolete roadways or other transportation structures in a manner that is environmentally sound or prepares the land for sustainable development.