Transit Planning Intern

POSITION PURPOSE

This part-time position offers an opportunity to gain experience and apply your education toward transit planning projects for seven suburban cities in the South Metro. A variety of projects will provide exposure and growth in technical, collaborative, and fieldwork skills. The office location will be the Burnsville Bus Garage (11550 Rupp Drive, Burnsville).

POSITION SUMMARY

The varied duties offer opportunities to work in the field as well as conduct analysis and generate reports. The intern will assist the assigned MVTA Staff member in a variety of transit planning projects.

JOB DUTIES AND ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

The essential functions of this position include, but are not limited to the following:

• Collection and interpretation of data on route performance, bus stops, and park and ride use to help guide service decisions by using ridership data, ride-alongs, road checks, and other methods.
• Assisting with monthly and grant-required reports for local, regional, and federal entities.
• Investigating and working in coordination with other MVTA departments to evaluate requests for service changes.
• Assist in development of service plans for MVTA special event services
• Reviewing MVTA routes and operations for opportunities to better serve the community, adapt to changing demands, and increase ridership.
• Assisting with data requests and reports from external stakeholders
• Preparing maps and service concepts using established planning principles.
• Preparing maps and GIS analysis for special projects and requests
• Assisting with Automatic Vehicle Location System data review, data validation, and management tasks.
• Support outreach and community engagement efforts
• Assist in the review of internal databases to record all incoming service requests (Operators, customers, Board, etc.) and track the Planning Department's response for each request (action items, timelines, etc.).
• Provide support to tasks surrounding agency sustainability initiatives
• Research of planning initiatives, best practices, and new tools as needed.
• Participation in regional planning and collaboration efforts.
• Other duties as assigned or as apparent.

This position may encounter non-public data in the course of these duties. Any access to non-public data should be strictly limited to accessing the data that are necessary to perform the duties. While data are being accessed, this position should take reasonable measures to ensure the not public data are not accessed by individuals without a work reason. Once the work reason to access the data is reasonably finished, this position must properly store the not public data.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

To perform this position successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential function satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the formal education, experience, training, and skills/abilities required.

Education

• Recent graduate (within 12 months) or current student pursuing a master's degree or a bachelor's degree in Urban Planning, Transit, Transportation, GIS mapping, Geography, or closely related field.

Experience

• Experience using Microsoft Office software products, including Word, Access, Excel, Publisher, PowerPoint, and Outlook.

Trainings, Certificates, and Licenses

• Training in Geographic Information System (GIS) software; intermediate experience preferred
• Knowledge of or interest in expanding Microsoft Excel skills
• Knowledge of or interest in expanding Adobe Illustrator skills
• Valid Minnesota driver's license

Skills and Abilities

• Maintain a positive attitude
• Be organized and efficient
• Strong verbal and written communication skills
• Ability to work independently, as well as part of a team
• Prioritize tasks well

REQUIRED PHYSICAL ABILITIES AND WORK CONDITIONS

The physical demands and work conditions described here are representative of those that must be met by an individual to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Hazards

Nonstrenuous - occasionally climbs a few steps, balance, bend/stoop, kneel, crouch, squat, crawl, reach above shoulder level, sit, stand, walk, finger/enter data/keystroke, feel, talk, or hear, and/or exerts up to 10 pounds of force occasionally and/or negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects.

Surroundings

Low Risk - exposure to inside environmental conditions where it is adequately lighted, ventilated and heated, and normal precautions must be observed.

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by individuals employed in this job. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties and qualifications required of personnel in this job. The employer may and reserves its right to change the job description and establish, modify, or eliminate job duties and responsibilities, and jobs at its discretion with or without notice.