Transportation Planner I/Ii

The Bellingham Public Works Department is looking for an experienced transportation planning professional who wants to help plan and implement the City's commitment to provide an interconnected, multimodal transportation network that meets the needs of the community. This position offers the opportunity to continue the city's ongoing leadership and innovation in multimodal and active transportation planning. Join our team today!
Performs professional level technical work involving short and long-range transportation planning in an engineering environment. Responsible for the review of anticipated transportation impacts from private development proposals; forecasting and programming transportation facility needs by analyzing land use and transportation trends; coordinating with county, state, and regional transportation planning organizations; researching and analyzing technical and policy issues on pedestrian, bicycle, transit and roadway transportation needs; coordinating with City staff on public involvement sessions for transportation projects and programs; assisting in determining transportation GIS needs and applications; and providing transportation policy and technical support. Requires the ability to understand changes to a wide variety of public agency grant funding programs, criteria, funding levels and deadlines.
Salary information:
Transportation Planner I: $7,208/month - $8,733/month
Transportation Planner II: $7,568/month - $9,170/month
Placement within the range is based on qualifications and professional experience in accordance with City policy. Employees receive step increases annually in accordance with the Teamsters (Supervisory and Professional Unit) Collective Bargaining Agreement and City policy.
City of Bellingham employees receive medical, dental, and vision insurance as well as life insurance and long-term disability. Additional benefits include flexible spending accounts, a medical insurance opt-out program, and access to our employee assistance program. All eligible City employees are enrolled in a Washington State Department of Retirement Systems pension plan. Additionally, employees may elect to participate in the City's 457 deferred compensation retirement savings plan.
Employees will receive 12 paid holidays in addition to one paid floating holiday each year. At the time of hire, employees will accrue 8 hours of sick leave and 10 hours of vacation per month. Vacation accruals increase based on years of service. Leave accruals are based on 1.0 FTE, accruals are pro-rated if part-time and require employees to be in paid status at least 120 hours/month.
For additional information regarding benefits and compensation Information please visit the following:

• Labor Agreements, Pay Schedules and E-Team Employee Handbook - City of Bellingham (cob.org)
• Employment Benefits - City of Bellingham (cob.org)

This position is open until filled with a first review of applications on Monday, 2/12/2024 at 8:30 am. The position may be closed at any time following the first review.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS OF THE JOB:

1. Reviews development proposals for transportation concurrency evaluation, right-of-way dedication, street frontage improvement requirements, calculation of transportation impact fees, and review of transportation impact analyses. Participates in multi-departmental pre-application meetings to explain and answer questions about transportation improvement requirements from applicants, developers, and consultants.
2. Prepares requests for proposals (RFP) and requests for qualifications (RFQ) and serves as project manager for in-depth transportation corridor and intersection studies. Project management includes consultant oversight, coordination, scheduling, review, and approval of invoices, and assuring receipt of deliverables on-time and within project budget.
3. Leads, or participates in multi-agency transportation planning studies/alternatives analysis; reviews completed or in progress transportation studies/alternatives analysis.
4. Recommends transportation policies, programs, improvements, and funding opportunities. Participates with other City staff and stakeholders in public participation opportunities, such as public open houses, neighborhood meetings, and public hearings.
5. Leads and participates in the creation, implementation, and updating of pedestrian and bicycle master plans and the Growth Management Act (GMA) required periodic update of the Comprehensive Plan Transportation Element. Participates in the periodic update to the transportation plans of partner agencies, such as Whatcom Transportation Authority (WTA), Whatcom Council of Governments (WCOG), and Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT).
6. Researches grant funding organizations and opportunities, monitors changes to funding cycles and criteria, and prepares multiple grant funding applications for preliminary engineering, design, right-of-way acquisition, and construction of transportation infrastructure improvements. Identifies and secures funding partnerships with other agencies, such as local universities and other institutions.
7. Coordinates the development of and reviews the accuracy of transportation modeling programs by the Metropolitan/Regional Transportation Planning Organization (MPO/RTPO) to evaluate and support both the countywide and citywide transportation analysis zones in the regional travel demand model.
8. Coordinates with Public Works and Planning GIS staff to update the citywide multimodal transportation concurrency management program, infrastructure improvements made to the citywide multimodal transportation system, and other transportation plans and reports as needed. Coordinates with staff to integrate land use, housing, employment, and land supply GIS information into MPO/RTPO transportation modeling systems.
9. Prepares comprehensive plan, urban growth area annexation, and neighborhood plan revisions related to pedestrian, bicycle, trail, and roadway transportation facility needs.
10. Administers citywide transportation planning programs including but not limited to Transportation Impact Fee (TIF), Multimodal Transportation Concurrency, Transportation Report on Annual Mobility, Transportation Improvement Program (TIP), Local Road Safety Plan, and, along with the City Engineer, serves as support staff to the Transportation Commission appointed by the Mayor.
11. Researches, writes, and implements transportation-related development code updates and amendments as well as updates to the Public Works Development Guidelines and Improvement Standards.
12. Prepares requests for changes to federal functional classification of arterial streets and coordinates with WCOG (MPO/RTPO) to submit applications to WSDOT.
13. Prepares staff reports with maps and graphics. Prepares and makes presentations on transportation planning projects and issues at public meetings to the Transportation Commission, Planning Commission, Neighborhood Associations, and other organizations.
14. Participates in monthly meetings and serves in a technical advisory capacity to the WCOG (MPO/RTPO) and WTA.

ADDITIONAL WORK PERFORMED:

1. Performs other related work of a similar nature or level.

WORKING ENVIRONMENT:
Work is performed primarily in an office setting with long periods of sitting or standing. Occasional work in the field, exposing employee to inclement weather and traffic hazards. Some travel to various worksites or meetings is expected.
Physically perform the essential functions of the position, including:

• Detect, process, and interpret data on a computer screen,
• Detect and evaluate sound quality and distinguish tones using office equipment.
• Operate a keyboard, mouse, and other office equipment.
• Communicate in person and over the phone.

This job description documents the full range of duties for a Transportation Planner I and II at the City of Bellingham. Positions will be filled at the appropriate level based on requisite experience, training, and certifications.
Incumbents in Transportation Planner I may receive a non-competitive promotion when they meet minimum experience and training requirements for Transportation Planner II and demonstrate capability to perform the full range of functions independently under general supervision and guidance, provided adequate work and funding are available.

Transportation Planner I

• Bachelor's Degree in urban planning, civil or transportation engineering, or related field.
• One year of professional urban transportation planning experience required.
• Experience in creation and implementation of transportation plans preferred.
• Experience in development of complex transportation studies preferred.
• Demonstrated knowledge of state and federal transportation grant funding processes preferred.
• American Institute of Certified Planners credentials, Professional Engineering license, Advanced AICP Certified Transportation Planning (CTP), or Professional Transportation Planning (PTP) credential preferred.
• An equivalent combination of education and experience sufficient to provide the applicant with the knowledge, skills, and ability to successfully perform the essential functions of the job will be considered.

Transportation Planner II

• Bachelor's Degree in urban planning, civil or transportation engineering, or related field.
• Four years of professional urban transportation planning experience required.
• Demonstrated experience in creation and implementation of transportation plans.
• Experience in development of complex transportation studies.
• Demonstrated knowledge of state and federal transportation grant funding processes.
• American Institute of Certified Planners credentials, Professional Engineering license, Advanced AICP Certified Transportation Planning (CTP), or Professional Transportation Planning (PTP) credential required.
• An equivalent combination of education and experience sufficient to provide the applicant with the knowledge, skills, and ability to successfully perform the essential functions of the job will be considered.

• Valid Washington State driver's license and good driving record. Must submit a three-year driving abstract prior to hire.
• Employment contingent upon passing a criminal conviction background check (see Fair Hiring Practices below).

As part of the application process, a cover letter is required.
Within the cover letter, please answer the following questions:

1. Please indicate why you are interested in this position, and why this position is the next right step for you in your career.
2. Provide a brief summary of your education, experience and qualifications for this position.

Please ensure your application is complete and all required information has been provided. Standard completeness means all application fields (contact information, personal information, education, work experience, references, and required supplemental questions). Provide as much detail as you believe will fully describe your experience and training.

Interviews for the most qualified candidates are tentatively scheduled for February 27, 2024. Invitations to participate in the Interview process will be sent via e-mail on or around February 16, 2024.
Please Note: Candidates will receive updates regarding application status via email. Please be sure to check your email frequently, including your spam folders for messages filtered by your email providers.
Equal Opportunity:
Our environment is characterized by respect for cultural backgrounds, belief systems, and ethnic diversity. The City of Bellingham is an Equal Opportunity Employer and values diversity in its work force. We do not make decisions on the basis of an individual's race, religion, creed, color, national origin, sex, marital status, age (40+), disability, retaliation, sexual orientation or gender identity, honorably discharged veteran or military status, status as a victim of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking, use of a trained dog guide or service animal by a person with a disability, or any other basis prohibited by local, state, or federal law. All are encouraged to apply for employment.
Fair Hiring Practices

• The City provides individuals who have been arrested or convicted of a criminal offense an equal and fair opportunity to obtain employment.
• The City will not inquire about an applicant's criminal history until after a conditional job offer has been made.
• The City will disregard the prior arrest and conviction record of an otherwise qualified individual unless the offense is directly related to the job position for which the individual has applied.
• The City will notify an otherwise qualified applicant about a potentially disqualifying conviction and give the applicant an opportunity to submit information regarding the accuracy of the criminal records as well as evidence of mitigation or rehabilitation, as appropriate.

Employment Type: Full Time