How to become a transportation planner, my story

1) How did you get into the field, what was your experience and education, what is your current job title?

That’s a long story, but I’ll try to do it justice. I studied literature and art in college. When I got out, I thought I would go into publishing or journalism. But I had no idea how to go about that. Then I met a man at a gumbo housewarming party, and we fell in love. He was finishing his degree in landscape architecture, and when he finished he won a fellowship to travel around the world and study design approaches to water in an attempt to address the urban runoff issue. I tagged along.

I’d traveled before but not to this extent. We went all over southeast Asia, the Indian subcontinent, the Middle East and Europe. We rode planes, trains, donkey carts, rickshaws, autorickshaws and bicycles, and we walked. When we came back from the trip, I very quickly got a job at a mental health insurance company doing admin and writing. The job was part time; so, I took calculus and other business classes at night for fun.

My boyfriend’s roommate when we met was also a landscape architect and around the same time we started dating, the roommate started dating a woman from the planning program. I met her and her friends, and I was impressed with how smart they were. My first thought was, I wish I was that smart. My second thought was, maybe I am.

Actually, backtracking, I had the same reaction to the movie Singles, which I saw when I was in college, where the one guy is a planner for the regional train system. Except back then, I didn’t have the second thought.

My boss was irritating me at the mental health insurance company; so, I quit to find an admin job in planning to see if it interested me. I did temp jobs related to the field (riding SF Muni, our city bus and lightrail system, and writing down how I felt about it) and that caused me to register for this temp agency which I eventually let assign me (very reluctantly) to work as an admin asst for the regional rideshare program. I revamped their systems, built them a new database for their marketing department and improved the tracking system. I guess they were impressed bc within a few months, I convinced the Director of Planning to hire me as his staff planner. That’s the word used, but the job was really market research and program evaluation. It was a tremendous break since normally you have to have a relevant degree for a job like that.

I completely loved that job. And then I started getting bored with the limits of our perspective. For example, I wanted to take land use into consideration when looking at the region’s transportation problems. But that was outside our realm. So, I applied to graduate school at Berkeley, and finally they admitted me.

I was pretty wishy-washy about what my focus would be. I wanted to do land use (I think because it was new to me), but I kept getting pushed in one way or another back to transportation. The reality was and remains that there is more interesting work in transportation (to me). So, that’s where I’ve stayed. I’m glad now.

I’ve changed jobs several times and worked for myself. My current job title is Senior Transportation Planner. Since grad school, I have worked in transportation, but not always planning. I’ve done a lot of transportation demand management work as well.

2) How would you describe the work you do in a typical day? What are the most common tasks?

Research such as reading and synthesizing reports, talking to people, and surfing the net for relevant information
Writing memos, reports, and emails
Public speaking, meeting facilitation, determining how to frame an idea for the right response (this also goes under writing)
Project management – paying attention to schedules and budgets, checking in with people about their schedule and budget, organizing people, paper, ideas, motivations

3) If you could give advice to a young person who wants to work in this career field someday, what would you tell them? How can they best groom themselves for this field?

Get trained and volunteer.
You will need the Master’s degree.
Be well-rounded.
Pay attention.

4) What promotional and advancement opportunities exist in this field? What salaries could one expect (entry level to advanced top level.)?

Opportunities for advancement are endless. I guess the best you can do it run a planning department for a big city, region, state or country, but you could get out of the field a little and climb more. You could also run a successful planning non-profit or consulting firm. Salaries vary substantially based on your location, focus, and sector (npo, consulting, public). You can definitely be comfortable but probably not get rich.
I’m guessing:
Entry level: 30k-60k/year
Midlevel: 50k-100k
Upper level: 80k-150k+?

5) In your opinion, what are some of the best schools, degrees and certificates that are most marketable for jobs in this career field?

Planetizen has a ranking. I think Berkeley is best. MIT is supposed to be good, but it’s in Boston and doesn’t have a transportation concentration. As with all things, see which professors/researchers/professionals you admire and ask them.

6) How does someone without previous experience in this career field land a job? What are the best strategies for job-hunting in this field?

You get a Master’s degree. With admin or marketing skills and no degree in the field, you can get a job working with planners. I would shoot for nonprofits or private consulting firms for the best exposure (before you get your Master’s). You can get a planning job without the Master’s degree, but you’ll probably have to get the Master’s eventually. I’ve had the most luck networking as opposed to responding to listings.

7) Are there any professional associations that you would recommend joining?

Join advocacy groups relevant to your interests. Attend the public meetings to watch the proceedings and speak your mind. There are a lot of professional associations – I’m not a member of any of them tho.

8) What emerging or high growth careers do you see developing in the future for this career field?

I wouldn’t use the words “high growth”. I would use words more like “steady” or “solid” or “recession-proof” at least regarding transportation. Urban design is probably more volatile, and the salaries are lower, but you get to design things. People become planners because they are practical and they care about people and the planet not because they want to “emerge” or “grow”; we leave that to the politicians. People who succeed in planning, generally do so because they are convincing and have natural social skills, but you can wonk out and be a techy too if that compels you.

Written April 8, 2008, A shorter version of this "interview" will be included in a forthcoming book titled "Green Careers"
Photo by Mitch Aidelbaum of me manning a commute fair table while editing a survey on Halloween

Short Term vs. Long Term Benefits

I just got off the phone with KT. Her cat scratched her wrist so that it looks like she tried to slit it. (Speaking of which, I unexpectedly loved the movie Wrist Cutters.) KT said "I knew it was going to happen, but she looked so beautiful I had to pet her anyway."

...Which reminded me of my activities last night. I got home around 11, with various friends unreachable by phone (in loud bars, etc.) but nearby for the looking. Instead I decided to have a kir and watch some TV. I've been hankering to stay up too late watching TV and drinking alone for a while. I've been streaming 30 Rock. As I poured myself another glass, I became aware of the deliciousness of the experience and, at the same time, that I would be sorry tomorrow for the sleep and hydration I'd missed.

At this point in the conversation, KT and I began to ponder the delicious men we know won't last with us, the chocolate cake we really shouldn't eat.... When I decide what to eat, I always select something that is either: 1) completely delicious and/or 2) healthy. I guess we go for that dating too -- it's a goal. And there are lots of things that are both delicious and healthy, like green beans, fine art films, and certain men. But choosing just kills me. And sometimes something becomes less delicious when we find out that it's healthy. (I had this experience with salads growing up.)

Categories include:
1) food
2) television/entertainment
3) booze
4) men
5) pets
Aren't these also the things we like best? I mean, I get that little tingly feeling when I read about bicycling, but I always turn to the entertainment section of the paper before I read about gas prices. These are also easy things -- things that don't necessarily challenge us. We love our pets in part because they love us unconditionally. They never ask us to improve ourselves. These delicious things that we love make us feel good right now, without actually asking us to become better people. Healthy food and men we stay with improve us. And sometimes we just want to give into our most base impulses without questioning them.

Point Reyes Hike

Photos from our hike at Point Reyes last weekend:

Extra photo

Complaint Submitted to Caltrain

I ride the train to work from San Francisco to San Jose 1-2x/week because I enjoy it. Today, the VTA lightrail was a few minutes late, and there wasn't time to validate my 10-ride ticket before boarding the train in Mountain View because the validators are all the way on the opposite side of the platform. The 2 female conductors (373) were incredibly unpleasant about it. 20-30 people ran to make the connection that is usually seamless. We in no way delayed the train. In fact, the train was 2 minutes early to Millbrae and had to sit and wait.

I understand there must be some kind of policy about onboard validation; Caltrain employees have also instructed me to do this. But that's not the point. I ride the train because it is pleasant. If Caltrain attendants are going to be unpleasant, I believe a lot of people will find another way to travel.

One of these attendants made the statement: "that has nothing to do with us," which indicated to me a complete lack of understanding of how public transit works. People ride one form often to access another. In addition, VTA funds part of Caltrain. They have everything to do with each from both functional and administrative perspectives. I'm not even suggesting something so radical as timing the transfers (gasp!) -- I'm suggesting not being a jerk when people need a few seconds of your time onboard because another service is delayed and didn't even delay your service.

I noticed one attendant talking on her cel phone immediately upon arriving at 4th and King -- perhaps she was having a personal crisis. This was also not my fault.

Please train your employees in how public transportation works and in how to be pleasant to customers. If they can't understand that, please transfer them to cleaning toilets or something. There is just no excuse for having unpleasant staff onboard the train.
Thank you.
Lilia

PS, the new bike cars are also bad. Most people need their bike on both ends of a trip. Caltrain's multimodal capabilities were always its best feature (until these new cars!).

My sister Ilana's project in the news

'Sesame Street' unites Kosovo youngsters

Hipster Olympics

Sleep

Time: How Much Sleep Do You Really Need?
A recent study found that people who sleep between 6.5 and 7.5 hours/night live the longest. I can imagine how people who sleep less might use themselves up, but I think the shortened lives of people who sleep more should be associated with other health problems that cause them to need more sleep. The study did not suppose any reasons at this release.

Meanwhile, G found this napping diagram:

Source: Boston.com

I love the graphic display of information. But more than that, I was fascinated to read their suggestions for when and how to sleep. For example, they note that most animals typically sleep in several short naps over the day's 24 hours rather than in one long stretch. Perhaps that is healthier and more effective.

People seem to have a lot of judgement about sleep esp when and how it should be done. I wish I could sleep 4 hours in the night and 4 hours in the day, but I would need the rest of society to cooperate bc it's terribly boring to be awake when everyone else is sleeping. The last time I went to Europe, I had a lovely experience with no jetlag after a 4 hour afternoon nap and plenty of exercise. In fact, I think most sleep problems are really exercise deficits... and that becomes a matter of priorities. Just please don't use that assertion to judge anyone's habits. The result is just misery and insonmia resulting from worry about not sleep or exercizing enough.

Gas and Food

I worry a lot. I worry about where my food and wine comes from and how the farmers and their families who produced it are doing. I worry about the ozone and global warming. I worry about wildlife losing their habitat to development. I worry about my weight. I worry about the streets not being safe for children to play in, about people not knowing their neighbors, about living a fulfilled life. I surprised myself recently by feeling worried about the price of gas.

Most people know that I don't own or drive a car. So, why should I care? ...Well, it's not all about me. People I love drive cars. I worry about them spending all their money on gas. I worry about the transportation of food becoming too much. I worry about the public transit systems and their bottom lines. Someone on one of my carfree lists recently expressed the desire for drivers to stop being able to afford gas and to have to just stop driving right in the middle of the road. I'm more frugal than I am idealistic, it turns out.

The other day, I spent a few minutes scouring the web for a community supported agriculture system we can join to support a local farm. No luck. I found some, but they are all fully subscribed. I got on some waitlists. What kind of a place is this that you can't even promise to buy overpriced vegetables from a farm for a year and pay in advance? Frickin' hippie San Francisco!

I finally got some space in a community garden. It turns out the gardeners have decided that the whole garden should be a service to the community, and no one is allowed to grow vegetables for themselves. They told me I can only grow tomatoes (or raspberries or potatoes -- I choose tomatoes). As a member of the community, I'm not sure how I benefit from being limited in what I am permitted to grow. Gardening brings me joy, and I'm not letting myself get annoyed by the hippie dogma. I planted a bunch of tomatoes at the garden and some lettuce in a planter box in the apartment.

A while back, my friend Mitja sent me this link which recounts an argument that buying local food loses its benefit if you cook it inefficiently... and then refutes it. It made me want to plant more lettuce seeds in the apartment. Would it be possible to grow all my food right here?

The issue makes me feel anxious and itchy. I have a lot of projects, but I crave more. Farming in my Mission studio doesn't seem like the right on tho -- I'll keep looking.

Hummingbirds

My close family friends, David Rowland and family, say: In May, 2008 a hummingbird built its nest in our back yard in easy reach of the camera....
photo also by David Rowland

Update and Carpool

I got home last night at 7:10 which is the same time I got home yesterday. I've been trying to watch Les Enfant du Paradise; so, I put it on and lay on the couch. The movie is 190 minutes long, in black and white, and French, and I try not to read the subtitles. I was sound asleep within minutes and woke up again at 11:30. I must have been exhausted.

I began this blog when I quit my job in 2004 to record my adventures. Since then, I haven't worked full time for more than a few weeks. Now, with plenty of work and a 3-4 hour commute (RT) on days I go to the office, I'm not even getting enough sleep. I always say it's about priorities. I'm just amazed at how much my life has changed in the last few months.

I found a carpool on 511 rideshare which was my employer in another iteration. We put so much energy into marketing and trying to engage employers, running PSAs, phone numbers on the highway, posters, prizes.... I asked my carpool buddies how they heard about it. They said:
* I knew something like that must exist; so, I did an internet search and found it.
* I heard about the (casual carpool). I was checking if there was one for our route and found the site.
* A friend or coworker mentioned it, I think.
We've had some challenges with agreeing on pick up location. Some people's schedules are erratic (mine, for example). So, that requires flexibility. It won't last forever, but I think it mostly works for now because we like each other. Strangely, one guy was friends with Tyler in college at Berkeley -- the world is small.

Brown Tights

I saw this couple one Tuesday morning. Their look is typical SF bike punk, with the hoodies and all, but I liked her brown tights under short cutoff shorts, fashionable sunglasses, and dainty shoes.
I also liked it that they seemed happy I was taking their photo....

I'm still alive.

I even still have interesting things to say. I just don't have time to say them. Please check my other blogs for more info on me.

Dreamboat

Great bodies of literature support the idea that women love moody, thoughtful men. Exhibit Mr. Darcy and Heathcliff. Why do you think the pages of Jane and Emily get so much play. It's the way we are.

I saw this dreamboat from the train window, clearly solving some major world problem, in his black dress shoes, chinos, and collar shirt. I also have a weakness for red bicycles -- this one is a fixie.

We love this band.

NPR: Rupa and the April Fishes

Human Extinction

A friend recently got a vasectomy. He referred me to the Voluntary Human Extinction Movement as we discussed it. I’d definitely heard of them before, but I took the time to read through some of the site this time. They make some good arguments. I take a slightly more existential view of the matter. Nothing really matters; so, I do what I want to do regardless of the selfishness of that act.

Of course, as a carfree advocate, I combat this very same reasoning when I try to convince people to make smarter transportation choices. People get a lot of joy from children and cars. I just see cars as, hopefully, slightly less personally meaningful. Social pressure supports both desires. Reproduction has an additional push from hormones.

In one section of the website, they discuss the purpose of sex no longer being for procreation but instead for pairing. Pairing requires consistency to build trust. Another friend mentioned last night that men are biologically predisposed to want to have sex with as many women as possible. This also happens in women. Trust me. This desire combats the desire to pair; each precludes the other. Choose one.

But more than anything I found the site mean. Meanness is not compelling. …Even in elementary school bullies. See how that works? Did I lose you?

Pierre the Peguin and His Wet Suit

Pierre Sheds Wet Suit for Real Penguin Suit

Green Pigeon Control Hatches on Earth Day

San Jose City Hall bird watchers welcome three new peregrine falcons, By Mark Gomez and Denis C. Theriault, Mercury News, 04/22/2008 07:23:40 AM PDT
The falcons are so cool in so many ways not the least of which is that they keep the population of flying rats (and therefor the spread of disease) down around SJ City Hall.

Bus Wrap Art

Pierre Lapointe - Deux Par Deux Rassemblés