# Transportation Planners

> Prepare studies for proposed transportation projects. Gather, compile, and analyze data. Study the use and operation of transportation systems. Develop transportation models or simulations.

- **SOC code:** 19-3099.01
- **Canonical URL:** https://singulariki.com/roles/role-19-3099-01
- **Also known as:** Planner, Program Officer, Transportation Data Programs Manager, Transportation Planner, Transportation Analyst, Airway Transportation Systems Specialist (ATSS), Fleet Coordinator, Traffic Analyst
- **Frame:** "AI exposure" means task overlap (how codifiable the work is), not jobs lost or a forecast. Every figure below is traced to a named public dataset.

## What this work is

**Core tasks** (O*NET):
- Define regional or local transportation planning problems or priorities.
- Participate in public meetings or hearings to explain planning proposals, to gather feedback from those affected by projects, or to achieve consensus on project designs.
- Prepare reports or recommendations on transportation planning.
- Collaborate with engineers to research, analyze, or resolve complex transportation design issues.
- Recommend transportation system improvements or projects, based on economic, population, land-use, or traffic projections.
- Develop computer models to address transportation planning issues.
- Analyze information related to transportation, such as land use policies, environmental impact of projects, or long-range planning needs.
- Design transportation surveys to identify areas of public concern.
- Interpret data from traffic modeling software, geographic information systems, or associated databases.
- Collaborate with other professionals to develop sustainable transportation strategies at the local, regional, or national level.
- Evaluate transportation project needs or costs.
- Analyze information from traffic counting programs.

## Skills, tools, capabilities

**Knowledge, skills & abilities** (O*NET, highest importance first):
- Transportation _(knowledge)_
- Reading Comprehension _(essential_skill)_
- Active Listening _(essential_skill)_
- Writing _(essential_skill)_
- Speaking _(essential_skill)_
- Critical Thinking _(essential_skill)_
- Complex Problem Solving _(transferable_skill)_
- Oral Comprehension _(ability)_
- Written Comprehension _(ability)_
- Oral Expression _(ability)_
- Written Expression _(ability)_
- Fluency of Ideas _(ability)_

**Skills in demand:**
- Writing _(Common Skill)_
- Reading Comprehension _(Common Skill)_
- Inductive Reasoning _(Common Skill)_
- Deductive Reasoning _(Common Skill)_
- Critical Thinking _(Common Skill)_
- Complex Problem Solving _(Common Skill)_
- Active Listening _(Common Skill)_
- English Language _(Common Skill)_
- Visualization _(Specialized Skill)_
- Mathematics _(Common Skill)_
- Active Learning _(Common Skill)_
- Geography _(Specialized Skill)_

**Tools & technology:**
- ESRI ArcGIS software _(hot technology, in demand)_
- Microsoft Access _(hot technology, in demand)_
- Microsoft Excel _(hot technology, in demand)_
- Microsoft Office software _(hot technology, in demand)_
- Microsoft Outlook _(hot technology, in demand)_
- Microsoft Power BI _(hot technology, in demand)_
- Microsoft PowerPoint _(hot technology, in demand)_
- Microsoft Word _(hot technology, in demand)_
- SAP software _(hot technology, in demand)_
- Structured query language SQL _(hot technology, in demand)_
- Tableau _(hot technology, in demand)_
- Adobe Acrobat _(hot technology)_

## AI exposure & outlook

- **AI task-overlap index:** 95th percentile (High) across all occupations — composite of current-era exposure studies (ai-exposure-index-v1).
- **Overall AI exposure (Felten et al.):** 89th percentile (High) — source: felten_aioe.
- **LLM task exposure, γ (OpenAI / Eloundou):** 86th percentile (High) — source: eloundou_gamma.
- **AI assistant applicability (Microsoft):** 94th percentile (High) — source: microsoft_applicability.
- **Frey–Osborne (2013, historical computerization estimate):** 22nd percentile — kept separate from current-era studies.
- **Remote-capable (Dingel–Neiman):** yes — task structure, not who actually works remote.
- **Projected employment (BLS 2024–34):** -1.7% growth (Declining); 3.2k annual openings; 40.8k → 40.1k jobs.
- **Pay & employment (BLS OEWS, May 2024):** median $100,340; 36,970 employed.

## How people actually use AI here

Anthropic Economic Index — measured AI conversations mapped to this occupation's tasks:

- **Automation vs augmentation:** 47% automation, 37% augmentation (usage-weighted).
- **Autonomy median:** 3.8 (higher = AI acts more independently).
- **Dominant collaboration mode:** directive.

**Tasks most handed to AI here:**
- Prepare or review engineering studies or specifications. _(0.6% of measured AI use; directive)_
- Prepare reports or recommendations on transportation planning. _(0.3% of measured AI use; task iteration)_

**Example prompts (honest phrasings of the tasks above — starting points, not endorsed instructions):**
- Help me prepare or review engineering studies or specifications.
- Help me prepare reports or recommendations on transportation planning.

## Sources

- **O*NET** (30.3) — U.S. Department of Labor / National Center for O*NET Development. https://www.onetcenter.org/database.html
- **BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)** (May 2024) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. https://www.bls.gov/oes/
- **BLS Employment Projections** (2024–2034) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. https://www.bls.gov/emp/
- **Anthropic Economic Index** (v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27)) — Anthropic. https://www.anthropic.com/economic-index
- **Microsoft “Working with AI”** (working-with-ai) — Microsoft Research. https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/
- **“GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.)** (arXiv 2303.10130) — OpenAI / academic. https://arxiv.org/abs/2303.10130
- **AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE)** (Felten, Raj & Seamans) — academic. https://github.com/AIOE-Data/AIOE
- **Frey & Osborne (2013)** (frey-osborne-automation) — academic. https://www.oxfordmartin.ox.ac.uk/publications/the-future-of-employment/
- **Dingel & Neiman (2020)** (dingel-neiman-workathome) — academic. https://github.com/jdingel/DingelNeiman-workathome

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_Generated from Singulariki's joined dataset; data snapshot 2026-06-02T21:00:32.945303+00:00. https://singulariki.com/roles/role-19-3099-01_