Location: Bellingham, WA
Type: Full-Time
Salary: $6,689 - $8,963 / mo
Job Summary:
This position is multi-disciplinary, performing a variety of land use, transportation, and transit planning functions. Leads WTA's efforts to integrate transit and multimodal considerations into local land use decision-making. Works to ensure transit facilities and design are incorporated into development proposals and codes. Participates in comprehensive planning and other local plan updates. Supports WTA's transit-oriented development efforts. Supports environmental analysis and reporting. Supports other transit planning initiatives.
Full description and instructions for applying are available here.
Priority given to applications received by Sunday, November 26, 2023, at 9:00 pm.
Please attach a resume and cover letter to the application. The cover letter will be attached to the same location as the resume. Please explain why you believe you would be an excellent candidate for this position.
Interviews will be held December 18th and 20th, 2023. Please plan to be available.
COMPENSATION: 2023 Rates
- Full budgeted range: $6689 - $8963 / mo. with 7 step program (Step placement upon hire will be evaluated based on the candidate's years of relevant experience)
WTA service is inextricably linked to land use. Housing, jobs, density, and community design determine who and where people have access to public transportation, and the types and amount of service that WTA can provide. The Transportation & Land Use Planner will work with local, state, and regional agencies to ensure that public transportation considerations are reflected in comprehensive plans, land use codes, and development projects.
ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:
1. Carries out planning projects involving complex technical analysis and policy development for a broad spectrum of interested parties.
2. Reviews and tracks development proposals that may affect transit service, ridership, and facilities. Reviews site plans and project submittals, transportation impact analyses, land use code provisions, State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) submittals, and other materials. Submits comments to developers and public officials. Testifies at public meetings and hearings as appropriate.
3. Works with official government agencies to integrate bus stops and other transit facility requirements into land use codes.
4. Provides integrated land use-transportation and multimodal transportation perspectives on comprehensive plan updates/revisions and other local, regional, and statewide planning initiatives. Attends meetings, serves on technical committees, and gives updates and presentations.
5. Tracks and analyzes socio-economic and land use data produced by the Census Bureau, state agencies, the Whatcom Council of Governments (WCOG) and local communities.
6. Assists on Transit Oriented Development/Transit Supportive Development projects initiated by WTA or its partners. Conducts research, oversees the development review process, conducts site visits, and prepares or oversees the preparation of environmental review documents.
7. Provides environmental review, compliance, and coordination for WTA initiatives. Coordinates the preparation of environmental reviews for WTA proposals, prepares federal NEPA and SEPA checklists and other documents for WTA proposals requiring NEPA/SEPA environmental review. Monitors, oversees implementation, and updates WTA's Sustainability Plan.
8. Conducts research, prepares, and presents technical reports, and makes policy and other recommendations, as appropriate.
9. Develops educational materials and conducts or arranges community engagement activities. Makes public presentations to internal and external stakeholders.
10. Responds to employee and customer suggestions, requests and complaints concerning transit service.
11. Constructively reviews planning studies, reports, presentations, and other products completed by consultants, communities, and other staff members.
12. Tracks and reports on state legislative land use proposals and local land use policy decisions. Provides written or verbal testimony to represent WTA's mission and strategic direction.
ADDITIONAL JOB FUNCTIONS AS ASSIGNED:
- Supports agency transportation, transit, and service planning efforts.
- Represents WTA at community forums and on state, regional and local technical committees, and projects. Provides accurate and timely reporting on activities.
- Leads, facilitates, manages, and/or participates in internal WTA committees.
- Oversees bus stop requests including placement of new stops, and relocation or elimination of existing stops. Investigates stop location options and makes recommendations for bus stop changes through close collaboration with Operations staff.
- Receives on-going organizational training on issues related to the position.
- May act as responsible charge for the Planning division in the absence of the Director.
- Other duties as assigned.
QUALIFICATIONS:
To perform this job successfully, each essential function must be performed satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, experience, skill and ability required. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Ability To:
- Read, analyze, and interpret complex documents including site plans and engineering documents.
- Make effective and persuasive presentations on complex or controversial topics to staff, public groups, and boards of directors.
- Write clear and concise reports, memoranda, and other business documents.
- Work effectively with co-workers at all levels of the organization, as well as people affiliated with other organizations.
- Work with mathematical concepts such as probability and statistics and perform cost/benefit analysis. Apply concepts such as fractions, percentages, ratios, and proportions to practical situations.
- Develop and implement survey methods.
- Define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions.
- Solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists.
- Collect process and analyze information with Geographic Information System (GIS) technology.
- Interpret an extensive variety of information furnished in written, oral, diagram or schedule form.
WORKING CONDITIONS, TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT:
Duties are performed primarily in an office environment, but also require traveling between agency headquarters and transit stations, on routes and to various other locations. Travel is generally within Whatcom County, with occasional out-of-state trips to regional and national meetings and training courses. Typical office equipment used to accomplish job tasks: computer, cell phone, printer, photocopier, calculator, and telephone.
Education and Experience:
- Bachelor's Degree in Planning, environmental studies, geography, public administration, or related field.
- Three (3) years of experience applying the principals and practices of planning.
- Other combinations of education and experience, which would provide the applicant with the desired skills, knowledge and ability required to perform the job may be considered.
- Proficient in MS Office applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
- Experience in development review processes - preferred.
- Experience using GIS programs - preferred.
- Experience with project management - preferred.
License or Certificates:
- Valid Washington State driver's license at time of hire to be able to operate WTA vehicles.
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
- Regularly sit, talk, listen, and use hands.
- Frequently stand and walk.
- Occasionally reach with hands and arms, stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl and lift or move up to 30 pounds.
- Specific vision abilities include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus.
- Hearing capacity sufficient to communicate effectively with telephone callers, including those with speech or hearing difficulties of their own.
- Ability to move between upstairs and downstairs numerous times a day, using stairs or elevator.
SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:
Participation in the WTA's Drug and Alcohol Abuse Prevention Program is a requirement of employment which includes reasonable suspicion drug and alcohol testing. A background check will be conducted to include criminal records and driver's record.