The purpose of these posts is to familiarize engineers in Kurdistan with global engineering practices. Although engineering education in Kurdistan closely follows curricula from U.S. universities, the nature of engineering work can be very different. Therefore, it is important for engineers to develop a global perspective, ensuring that their career opportunities are not limited to Kurdistan. Understanding the duties and functions of different engineering disciplines helps clarify the path to acquiring the practical knowledge and experience needed for our future careers.
Traffic engineering and transportation planning are two very important professions. From a career and day-to-day work perspective, they offer dynamic, engaging, and highly interactive working environments. in Kurdistan opportunities for engineers has generally been limited. Unfortunately, due to political instability and the actions of neighboring countries that have occupied parts of Kurdistan, the region has faced economic challenges that have reduced opportunities for engineers to participate in diverse projects and gain practical experience. Traffic and transportation engineering are among the disciplines that have not received sufficient recognition, resulting in limited public understanding of their roles and a shortage of experienced professionals in these fields. Traffic and transportation departments have received relatively little attention, so their work is often not well understood. Here, I am focusing on the practical application of these fields rather than academic study.
Transportation systems can be analyzed at two levels. The first level focuses on the movement of people and goods across a city or region, considering all modes of transportation. The second level examines the institutional organization and management of a specific mode of transportation. Transportation planners specialize in planning strategies for entire systems and may focus on areas such as public transit, bicycle and pedestrian networks, or regional transportation. In practice, a transportation planner working for a municipality may be responsible for:
- Contribute to the preparation of transportation master plans. (In the U.S., any city with a population over 50,000 must maintain a transportation master plan and update it every five years).
- Investigate transportation problems by developing proposals and evaluating alternatives.
- Organize meetings and engage stakeholders to present and discuss transportation projects. If a transportation planner works for a consulting firm, they often act as a technical advisor to municipal planners, assisting with tasks such as transportation modeling or technical evaluations of alternative solutions.
Traffic engineers work primarily at the second level, focusing on specific local problems and recommending solutions based on technical information and established standards. Typical traffic engineering tasks include:
- Designing intersections, including traffic signals, ramps, and overpasses, to optimize traffic flow.
- Monitoring and updating traffic signal timing and managing traffic control centers.
- Preparing Traffic Impact Studies to assess the effects of new developments on existing traffic conditions.
For example, one project I worked on highlights the differences in their work. in a Traffic Impact Study I worked on, one intersection was predicted to experience congestion due to a proposed development. The municipal planner evaluated several options for modifying the road and intersection, comparing their practicality. They recommended replacing the intersection with traffic signals to alleviate congestion. Next, with the municipal traffic engineer we analyzed multiple design approaches and discussed the results with the city planner and transportation planner. The proposal to replace the traffic lights with permissive timing was approved. Following this, the road and traffic engineer will prepare the construction documents. This example clearly illustrates the role of the traffic engineer.”
