Internship Opportunity with WSDOT

The Washington State Department of Transportation’s Traffic Management Center (TMC) in Shoreline is seeking freshman, sophomores, and juniors in the Civil & Environmental Engineering Department to join their current team of TMC Operators. There are multiple intern positions available. CEE seniors are not eligible to apply, unless they plan to attend graduate school at the UW in Transportation. 

A TMC Operator’s primary responsibility is to operate and adjust WSDOT’s Intelligent Transportation System commonly known as “FLOW.” These responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

  • Identifying congestion, accidents, stalled vehicles and other problems that affect the operation of the Seattle area freeway system using closed circuit television cameras.
  • Monitoring the State Patrol’s computer aided dispatch and scanner.
  • Communicating with the media, State Patrol, WSDOT radio operators and engineers.
  • Compiling, organizing and disseminating congestion information to the public through incident messages on the Internet, variable message signs, and highway advisory radio.
  • Operating the Seattle area ramp metering system and assisting engineers in the maintenance and improvement of the system.
  • Projects as assigned (past projects include ramp meter analysis, express lane analysis, preparation of traffic volume reports, and others.)

This position requires a minimum of 15 hours per week during the school year and 1000 hours total for each year. 1000 hours is easily reached if an intern works 15 hours a week during the school year and full-time during the summer. This position may require you to work shifts starting as early as 5:30 AM or ending as late as 7:30 PM. Work hours are scheduled around your classes. Candidates who can work in the TMC for two or more years will be given preference. 

The minimum requirement for this position is that the applicant be admitted to the Civil & Environmental Engineering Department and have a 3.0 GPA or higher. A successful candidate must be a highly motivated and responsible individual who has the ability to work alone and also as part of a team.

Please see the attached document for more detailed information and the interview sign-up sheet (WSDOT TMC Aug 2016 with Schedule[1]). Interested students must return the form (via email) by Friday, Sept. 9 at 3pm. Interviews will be held with WSDOT engineers at the Northwest Region TMC on Wednesday, Sept. 14 and Thursday, Sept. 15.

If you have questions, please contact Professor Scott Rutherford directly at scottrutt@uw.edu.