What does a transportation engineer do?

Transportation engineers plan, design, and implement transportation systems. Transportation engineers consider traffic, population, and other factors to determine the need for a new form of transportation, such as train lines, buses, subways, or new roads, in a specific area or region. They identify methods for incorporating the new form of transportation to reduce local traffic, meet the needs of the community, and fit into the designated budget. Transportation engineers are vital parts of the team that designs public transportation paths and creates highways, bridges, and other structures that enable transportation. Similar job titles include construction engineer, transportation planner, port engineer, and traffic engineer.