Traffic Technician Conduct field studies to determine traffic volume, speed, effectiveness of signals, adequacy of lighting, and other factors influencing traffic conditions, under direction of traffic engineer.
Traffic Technician is Also Know as
In different settings, Traffic Technician is titled as
- Field Traffic Investigator
- Traffic Analyst
- Traffic Control Technician
- Traffic Investigator
- Traffic Signal Technician (TST)
- Traffic Survey Technician
- Traffic Technician
- Transportation Planning Technician
- Transportation Technician
Education and Training of Traffic Technician
Traffic Technician is categorized in Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed
Experience Required for Traffic Technician
Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.
Education Required for Traffic Technician
Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Degrees Related to Traffic Technician
- Bachelor in Civil Engineering Technologies/Technicians
- Associate Degree Courses in Civil Engineering Technologies/Technicians
- Masters Degree Courses in Civil Engineering Technologies/Technicians
- Bachelor in Transportation and Infrastructure Planning/Studies
- Associate Degree Courses in Transportation and Infrastructure Planning/Studies
- Masters Degree Courses in Transportation and Infrastructure Planning/Studies
Training Required for Traffic Technician
Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.
Related Ocuupations
Some Ocuupations related to Traffic Technician in different industries are
- Civil Engineering Technologists and Technicians
- Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters
- Air Traffic Controllers
- Transportation Vehicle, Equipment and Systems Inspectors, Except Aviation
- Construction and Building Inspectors
- Locomotive Engineers
- Aviation Inspectors
- Power Distributors and Dispatchers
- Surveying and Mapping Technicians
- Highway Maintenance Workers
- Transportation Engineers
- Transportation Planners
- Geodetic Surveyors
- Airfield Operations Specialists
- Logistics Engineers
- Transportation Inspectors
- Civil Engineers
- Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers
- Government Property Inspectors and Investigators
- Ship Engineers
What Do Traffic Technician do?
- Interact with the public to answer traffic-related questions, respond to complaints or requests, or discuss traffic control ordinances, plans, policies, or procedures.
- Prepare drawings of proposed signal installations or other control devices, using drafting instruments or computer-automated drafting equipment.
- Plan, design, and improve components of traffic control systems to accommodate current or projected traffic and to increase usability and efficiency.
- Analyze data related to traffic flow, accident rates, or proposed development to determine the most efficient methods to expedite traffic flow.
- Prepare work orders for repair, maintenance, or changes in traffic systems.
- Study factors affecting traffic conditions, such as lighting or sign and marking visibility, to assess their effectiveness.
- Visit development or work sites to determine projects' effect on traffic and the adequacy of traffic control and safety plans or to suggest traffic control measures.
- Lay out pavement markings for striping crews.
- Operate counters and record data to assess the volume, type, and movement of vehicular or pedestrian traffic at specified times.
- Provide technical supervision regarding traffic control devices to other traffic technicians or laborers.
- Gather and compile data from hand count sheets, machine count tapes, or radar speed checks and code data for computer input.
- Place and secure automatic counters, using power tools, and retrieve counters after counting periods end.
- Measure and record the speed of vehicular traffic, using electrical timing devices or radar equipment.
- Study traffic delays by noting times of delays, the numbers of vehicles affected, and vehicle speed through the delay area.
- Review traffic control or barricade plans to issue permits for parades or other special events or for construction work that affects rights of way, providing assistance with plan preparation or revision, as necessary.
- Prepare graphs, charts, diagrams, or other aids to illustrate observations or conclusions.
- Establish procedures for street closures or for repair or construction projects.
- Compute time settings for traffic signals or speed restrictions, using standard formulas.
- Monitor street or utility projects for compliance to traffic control permit conditions.
- Maintain or make minor adjustments or field repairs to equipment used in surveys, including the replacement of parts on traffic data gathering devices.
- Time stoplights or other delays, using stopwatches.
- Interview motorists about specific intersections or highways to gather road-condition information for use in planning.
- Develop plans or long-range strategies for providing adequate parking space.
- Provide traffic information, such as road conditions, to the public.
Qualities of Good Traffic Technician
- Oral Expression: The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
- Oral Comprehension: The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
- Problem Sensitivity: The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
- Inductive Reasoning: The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
- Written Comprehension: The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
- Speech Clarity: The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
- Speech Recognition: The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
- Deductive Reasoning: The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
- Near Vision: The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
- Information Ordering: The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
- Category Flexibility: The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
- Written Expression: The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
- Far Vision: The ability to see details at a distance.
- Flexibility of Closure: The ability to identify or detect a known pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in other distracting material.
- Perceptual Speed: The ability to quickly and accurately compare similarities and differences among sets of letters, numbers, objects, pictures, or patterns. The things to be compared may be presented at the same time or one after the other. This ability also includes comparing a presented object with a remembered object.
- Selective Attention: The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.
- Visualization: The ability to imagine how something will look after it is moved around or when its parts are moved or rearranged.
- Originality: The ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.
- Fluency of Ideas: The ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).
- Mathematical Reasoning: The ability to choose the right mathematical methods or formulas to solve a problem.
- Number Facility: The ability to add, subtract, multiply, or divide quickly and correctly.
- Finger Dexterity: The ability to make precisely coordinated movements of the fingers of one or both hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble very small objects.
- Visual Color Discrimination: The ability to match or detect differences between colors, including shades of color and brightness.
- Arm-Hand Steadiness: The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.
- Time Sharing: The ability to shift back and forth between two or more activities or sources of information (such as speech, sounds, touch, or other sources).
- Depth Perception: The ability to judge which of several objects is closer or farther away from you, or to judge the distance between you and an object.
- Speed of Closure: The ability to quickly make sense of, combine, and organize information into meaningful patterns.
- Reaction Time: The ability to quickly respond (with the hand, finger, or foot) to a signal (sound, light, picture) when it appears.
- Auditory Attention: The ability to focus on a single source of sound in the presence of other distracting sounds.
- Hearing Sensitivity: The ability to detect or tell the differences between sounds that vary in pitch and loudness.
- Control Precision: The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions.
- Multilimb Coordination: The ability to coordinate two or more limbs (for example, two arms, two legs, or one leg and one arm) while sitting, standing, or lying down. It does not involve performing the activities while the whole body is in motion.
- Memorization: The ability to remember information such as words, numbers, pictures, and procedures.
- Spatial Orientation: The ability to know your location in relation to the environment or to know where other objects are in relation to you.
- Manual Dexterity: The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
- Night Vision: The ability to see under low-light conditions.
- Rate Control: The ability to time your movements or the movement of a piece of equipment in anticipation of changes in the speed and/or direction of a moving object or scene.
- Sound Localization: The ability to tell the direction from which a sound originated.
- Glare Sensitivity: The ability to see objects in the presence of a glare or bright lighting.
- Peripheral Vision: The ability to see objects or movement of objects to one's side when the eyes are looking ahead.
- Response Orientation: The ability to choose quickly between two or more movements in response to two or more different signals (lights, sounds, pictures). It includes the speed with which the correct response is started with the hand, foot, or other body part.
- Trunk Strength: The ability to use your abdominal and lower back muscles to support part of the body repeatedly or continuously over time without "giving out" or fatiguing.
- Dynamic Strength: The ability to exert muscle force repeatedly or continuously over time. This involves muscular endurance and resistance to muscle fatigue.
- Stamina: The ability to exert yourself physically over long periods of time without getting winded or out of breath.
- Explosive Strength: The ability to use short bursts of muscle force to propel oneself (as in jumping or sprinting), or to throw an object.
- Static Strength: The ability to exert maximum muscle force to lift, push, pull, or carry objects.
- Wrist-Finger Speed: The ability to make fast, simple, repeated movements of the fingers, hands, and wrists.
- Extent Flexibility: The ability to bend, stretch, twist, or reach with your body, arms, and/or legs.
- Gross Body Equilibrium: The ability to keep or regain your body balance or stay upright when in an unstable position.
- Gross Body Coordination: The ability to coordinate the movement of your arms, legs, and torso together when the whole body is in motion.
- Speed of Limb Movement: The ability to quickly move the arms and legs.
- Dynamic Flexibility: The ability to quickly and repeatedly bend, stretch, twist, or reach out with your body, arms, and/or legs.
Tools Used by Traffic Technician
- 35 millimeter cameras
- Data collectors
- Desktop computers
- Digital cameras
- Digital plotters
- Drafting instruments
- Dynamic message signs
- Electric timing devices
- Notebook computers
- Pavement cutting saws
- Personal computers
- Pneumatic traffic counters
- Portable two way radios
- Portable weight scales
- Radar guns
- Ramp meters
- Total stations
- Traffic counters
Technology Skills required for Traffic Technician
- Autodesk AutoCAD
- Bentley MicroStation
- C++
- Computer aided design and drafting software CADD
- Dowling Associates TRAFFIX
- ESRI ArcGIS software
- ESRI ArcView
- JAMAR Technologies PETRAPro
- Microsoft Access
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office software
- Microsoft Outlook
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Windows
- Microsoft Word
- Oracle Database
- Pd' Programming Intersection Magic
- Python
- R
- Salesforce software
- SAS
- Structure query language SQL
- Tableau
- The MathWorks MATLAB
- Traffic control software
- Traffic signal software
- Trafficware SimTraffic
- Word processing software