Insights What is the role of a traffic engineer?

What does a traffic engineer do?

As a traffic engineer, you will be planning and developing transportation improvements, such as public transportation systems, traffic control and parking. These professionals determine the kinds of roads that are needed to be designed and developed to ensure smooth traffic flow and to avoid any potential incidents. Traffic engineer professionals mostly focus their efforts on streets and highways, which often carry heavy loads of traffic. A key part of the role also involves predicting and analyzing street and road use in the future and understanding existing road patterns. Therefore, the role of a traffic engineer is demanding and offers a lot of variety.

How to become a traffic engineer

Becoming a traffic engineer in the USA requires training and study. For example, traffic engineers must have a degree in electrical, civil, mechanical or chemical engineering, and have enough knowledge from hands-on experience. There’s a range of different roles within the transportation sector, and many traffic engineers have backgrounds in other related disciplines, such as planning, environmental planning and computer science. There are also educational courses that traffic engineers can study, such as highway design, urban planning, business management and geography. Furthermore, the Institute of Transportation Engineers offers a certified qualification for traffic engineers for professionals with at least four years of experience.

Evidently, there's no set route you need to take. Working as a traffic engineer can lead to other opportunities in related disciplines, such as electrical engineering, or it could pave the way for a career as a transportation planner.