Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Urban Transport Assistant

🎯 Role Definition

The Urban Transport Assistant supports transportation planners, transit agencies, and municipal teams by delivering data-driven analysis, preparing technical documentation, coordinating stakeholder engagement, and assisting in the development and implementation of multimodal urban mobility initiatives. This role emphasizes practical skills in GIS mapping, travel demand analysis, public transit operations, and community consultation to improve network performance, safety, and sustainability.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Junior Transport Planner or Graduate Transport Analyst
GIS Technician or Cartographic Assistant
Transit Operations Assistant or Data Analyst (transportation sector)

Advancement To:

Senior Transport Planner or Lead Transport Analyst
Transit Operations Manager or Network Performance Manager
Project Manager (transportation infrastructure and mobility projects)

Lateral Moves:

Travel Demand Modeller / Transport Modelling Analyst
Transport Policy Analyst or Sustainable Mobility Coordinator
Data Analyst (transportation or smart cities teams)

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Conduct comprehensive route and corridor performance analysis using ridership, headway adherence, punctuality, load factor, and dwell-time datasets to identify underperforming sections and propose timetable, vehicle allocation, or stop consolidation improvements.
Develop, maintain, and analyze GIS-based maps and spatial datasets (stop locations, service catchments, pedestrian access, bike lanes) to support network planning, accessibility studies, and public consultation materials.
Extract, clean, and transform large transport datasets from multiple sources (AVL/GPS, AFC, APC, traffic sensors, census) using SQL and scripting tools to produce reliable inputs for modelling and reporting.
Assist in preparing and calibrating travel demand and traffic models (four-step, mode choice, or micro-simulation) under the guidance of senior modellers to test scenarios such as new bus lanes, traffic signal timing, or land-use changes.
Produce clear, data-driven operational recommendations for transit service changes including frequency adjustments, route restructuring, vehicle scheduling, and resource reallocation to improve reliability and customer experience.
Lead or support targeted fieldwork and on-site surveys (boarding/alighting counts, origin-destination interviews, accessibility audits) and document findings in technical memos and project reports.
Prepare high-quality technical reports, briefing notes, presentations, and visualizations tailored to internal teams, elected officials, and community stakeholders to communicate analytical outcomes and investment needs.
Support public engagement activities by producing clear materials (maps, infographics, FAQs) and representing project teams at workshops, open houses, and stakeholder meetings to gather feedback and explain proposed changes.
Monitor and report on key performance indicators (KPIs) for transit services and active travel programs, producing regular dashboards and trend analyses that inform operational and strategic decisions.
Assist in the development of grant applications, funding proposals, and tender documentation by compiling technical inputs, cost estimates, and evidence-based justifications for proposed transport interventions.
Coordinate with highway, safety, and traffic engineering teams to review proposed infrastructure schemes for impacts on operations, multimodal connectivity, and pedestrian/cyclist safety.
Support the implementation of Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) components by documenting requirements, assisting with testing of AVL/real-time passenger information systems, and verifying data flows.
Compile and manage a centralized transport data repository and metadata catalog to ensure data integrity, version control, and efficient reuse across planning initiatives.
Conduct accessibility and equity assessments using demographic and travel behavior data to identify underserved communities and recommend tailored mobility solutions that enhance inclusion.
Assist with forecasting ridership and revenue impacts for proposed network changes and new services, incorporating sensitivity and scenario analysis to inform risk-based decisions.
Maintain up-to-date knowledge of transport regulations, local policies, mobility trends, and best practices to ensure project recommendations align with sustainability targets and statutory requirements.
Support trial planning and evaluation for pilot projects (e.g., bus priority lanes, pop-up bike lanes, microtransit pilots) by defining success criteria, collecting baseline and trial data, and drafting evaluation reports.
Collaborate with procurement and contract management teams to supervise technical deliverables from consultants, ensuring scope compliance, quality control, and timely delivery.
Perform cost-benefit and multi-criteria assessments for infrastructure and service proposals to help prioritize investments and guide stakeholder decision-making.
Provide day-to-day operational support during service change rollouts (communications, driver briefings, stop signage updates) and act as a liaison between planners and operations staff to resolve issues quickly.
Maintain and improve data visualization outputs using tools (Tableau, Power BI, Python libraries) to make complex transport data accessible to non-technical audiences and support executive decision-making.
Document standard operating procedures (SOPs), data pipelines, and analysis workflows to ensure reproducibility and to upskill junior staff and interns.

Secondary Functions

Support ad-hoc data requests and exploratory data analysis.
Contribute to the organization's data strategy and roadmap.
Collaborate with business units to translate data needs into engineering requirements.
Participate in sprint planning and agile ceremonies within the data engineering team.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Proficiency in GIS mapping and spatial analysis (ArcGIS Pro, QGIS) with experience producing transit service maps, catchment areas, and network visualizations.
Strong data manipulation and query skills using SQL and relational databases (PostGIS preferred).
Experience with data analysis scripting in Python (pandas, geopandas) or R for cleaning, aggregating, and modelling transport datasets.
Familiarity with transport modelling and simulation tools (VISUM, VISSIM, Aimsun, EMME) or at least demonstrated experience supporting model development and scenario testing.
Competence building dashboards and visualizations in Tableau, Power BI, or similar tools to communicate KPIs and project outcomes.
Knowledge of public transport operations, scheduling principles, and service planning methodologies (headways, layover, cycle time).
Experience working with AVL/GPS, APC, and AFC datasets and understanding of common data quality issues in mobility datasets.
Basic understanding of travel demand modelling concepts, mode choice, and elasticities used in forecasting.
Working knowledge of traffic engineering fundamentals, pedestrian/cyclist design standards, and accessibility assessment frameworks.
Ability to prepare technical documentation, funding applications, and clear stakeholder-facing materials (maps, presentations, executive summaries).
Familiarity with version control (Git) and reproducible analysis practices; experience maintaining data catalogs and metadata.
Experience with public engagement practices and tools for gathering and synthesizing community feedback.

Soft Skills

Strong written and oral communication skills with the ability to translate technical analysis into plain-language recommendations for diverse audiences.
Analytical thinking with attention to detail, problem solving, and the ability to interpret complex datasets accurately.
Collaborative team player who can work across planning, engineering, operations, and policy teams.
Time management and prioritization skills to manage multiple concurrent projects and deadlines.
Adaptability and willingness to learn new tools, data sources, and methods in a fast-evolving transport landscape.
Stakeholder management and diplomacy; able to facilitate productive discussions between community members, elected officials, and technical teams.
Initiative and ownership, with a proactive approach to identifying opportunities for service improvement.
Ethical judgement and commitment to data privacy and responsible handling of sensitive transport information.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Bachelor's degree in Urban Planning, Transport Engineering, Civil Engineering, Geography, Data Science, or a related field.

Preferred Education:

Master's degree or postgraduate diploma in Transport Planning, Urban Mobility, Transportation Engineering, City Planning, or Applied GIS.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Transport Planning and Engineering
Urban Studies, Geography, GIS and Spatial Analysis
Data Science, Statistics, or Applied Analytics

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 1–4 years of relevant professional experience in urban transport, public transit operations, or transport data analysis.

Preferred:

2–5 years experience supporting transport planning projects, transit agencies, or municipal mobility teams.
Demonstrable portfolio of GIS maps, analysis reports, modelling support, or operational improvements implemented in a transport context.