Transportation Planning

Planning for economic progress, quality of life

Transportation planners help develop programs to meet the current transportation needs of families and businesses, locally and across a region. They also attempt to predict future travel patterns in order to forecast the need for additional transportation services and facilities. Some planners are very technically oriented and work with advanced computer technology; others deal with the social and economic aspects of travel. Some focus on one mode, such as cycling or public transit, while others consider multiple modes of travel.
 
Transportation planners working for local governments, often responding to traffic congestion or developing ways to finance new options. Some help develop programs and incentives designed to encourage people to drive less, provide home-to-work options for individuals trying to find jobs, or support special transportation services for the elderly.

What students in this concentration study

The transportation planning concentration focuses on the movement of people in metropolitan areas. It highlights the dynamic interactions between land use and transportation and the role of policy and planning instruments in mitigating traffic congestion and promoting livability.  An efficient transportation system is the key to economic success. However, efficiency often conflicts with environmental concerns and equity issues. Transportation and land use policies create winners and losers in transportation systems. Our training enables graduates to offer technical and political solutions for concurrent transportation challenges.

Possible courses in the concentration

Below is just a small sampling of of the dozens of courses related to transportation planning. You can find additional ideas on the concentration sheet.

• PA 5212 Managing Urban Growth and Change
• PA 5232 Transportation Policy, Planning, and Deployment
• PA 8202 Networks and Places:  Transportation, Land Use, and Design
• CE 8214 Transportation Economics
• PA 8290 Advanced Transportation Technologies Seminar

Research centers

Students interested in transportation planning also may be interested in the work of the following Humphrey School research areas and centers:

• State and Local Policy Program

Concentration forms

• Concentration sheet.
  Complete list of required courses
• Concentration exception request form
  Used to request an exception to the concentration requirements