Student Transit Planning Intern

For more than 50 years, KU on Wheels has provided transit services that are an integral part of the University of Kansas, including the popular SafeRide program. We provide approximately 2.5 million passenger trips annually with a budget in excess of five million dollars. We seek to continually improve and refine the system to meet the changing, challenging demands of the University as it grows and evolves. Committed to the highest levels of performance, we provide effective and efficient transportation for students, faculty and staff. KU’s transit services are highly coordinated with those of the City of Lawrence.

The intern will be responsible for supporting and assisting Transportation Services staff with a variety of duties that will involve graphic design, GIS mapping work, conducting public outreach, recording and drafting official meeting notes, assisting with meeting setup and preparation, formatting documents, reviewing and editing content, gathering and organizing data, participating in meetings, and experiencing a wide range of activities performed by Transportation Services staff. This kind of work benefits from a person who has the ability to think analytically, visually, and spatially; and it requires an affinity for attention to detail as well as excellent computer skills including competence with mapping and design software. This position is designed to develop the leadership and technical skills of the intern while providing Transportation Services with highly capable staff support.

The successful applicant will be able to apply their field of study to their work in this position.

• Collect data, conduct research, and complete assigned projects relevant to transit operations, and for parking operations on the KU Lawrence campus. Interns are also encouraged to propose and conduct relevant research/projects related to their course of study.
• Assist in planning and execution of airport shuttles.
• Develop and implement educational and promotional programs for students, staff, and faculty.
• Participate in meetings as appropriate, e.g. advisory boards and weekly operations meetings.
• Observe routes to evaluate effectiveness and service quality to ensure contractual standards and performance specifications are being met and conduct occasional passenger surveys.

1. Current KU undergraduate or graduate student enrolled in at least 6 hours per semester (excluding summer term)
2. Experience using Microsoft Office, specifically Word and Excel.
3. Excellent written and verbal communication skills, evidenced by application materials and interview process.
4. Prior work experience that required problem solving and organizational skills.

• Fluent with the English language.
• Available to work 10 - 15 hours per week.
• Available year-round, including break periods (excluding Winter Break). Work blocks should be a minimum of two hours in length.

1. Enrolled in Urban Planning, Public Administration, Marketing, Communications, Accounting, Business, Public Health, or Civil Engineering (Transportation) graduate programs, or other related fields of study, with an interest in public transit or alternative transportation modes.
2. Program management and development skills.
3. Experience working with diverse populations.
4. Familiarity with public transit (especially KU on Wheels or Lawrence Transit routes) as a user.
5. Knowledge of bicycle transportation rules, regulations, and design standards
6. Experience with urban cycling and/or trail cycling
7. Experience with social media, Adobe applications (InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop), or ArcGIS Pro.
8. Prior work experience working independently.
9. Work-study eligible.

Completed Application Includes:

1. Cover letter describing your interest in the position.
2. Resume
3. Three (3) three references.

• Application review begins Monday, 4/29/24 and continues until a pool of qualified applicants is identified.

Margretta de Vries, mdevries@ku.edu, 785-864-7275