My Journey into Transportation Engineering
From Childhood Dreams to Global Exploration
As a way to wrap up 2023 and shift more to a personal note, I thought I’d share a bit about my professional background in transportation engineering. This story may be familiar to many close to me, but I want to provide insights into where I have come from and my perspectives in this field of expertise.
The seeds of my fascination for transportation engineering were sown during a family road trip from our hometown in Winnipeg, Canada, to the east coast of Canada and Newfoundland. As a five-year-old, I learned all about the pavement markings on the road, how to decipher traffic signs and maps, and learning the art of navigation.
By the time I was eight, I had memorized Winnipeg's city map, directing my parents through its streets effortlessly. When my family relocated to Saskatoon, my dad thoughtfully provided me with a map of the city, allowing me to immerse myself in its layout even before our move. I soon became a local expert, navigating Saskatoon as adeptly as I had with Winnipeg.
My enthusiasm for transportation engineering extended beyond maps and signs. I delved into the inner workings of traffic signals, learning about their functionality. My interest in everything related to transportation led to phone calls to the City to report burnt-out traffic lights, ambitious endeavours of developing intricate, hand-drawn city maps on our dining room table and using the Microsoft Paint app to fashion traffic signal layouts.
Around the age of 10, my dad invested in a sheet of plywood that sparked a new chapter in my exploration. I embarked on building a model railway (HO scale, for those wondering), a project that taught me the fundamentals of electricity and wiring. While it was a pre-digital era in what tools and technology I had access to (unfortunately no Arduino or Raspberry Pi for automation in those days), I gained valuable insights into fundamental electrical concepts, including the pitfalls of short circuits. My model railway thrived, complete with electrically controlled track switches and manual traffic signals crafted from brass tubes, paint, and small light bulbs.
As I progressed through high school, I found myself at a crossroads - choosing between electrical engineering and civil engineering for my university studies. The University of Saskatchewan's robust electrical engineering program won me over, given my enduring fascination with both electrical and transportation engineering. Inspired by a former ITE president who had transitioned from electrical engineering to transportation, I embarked on my educational journey.
After completing my studies and a stint working in the oil sands of Fort McMurray, I found myself in Calgary. There, I joined the Forecasting Division of the City of Calgary, where I immersed myself in the city's macro transportation model and contributed to the City’s Network Planning group. This experience deepened my understanding of transportation planning and modelling, introduced a love for programming and automating tasks, and expanded my professional horizons.
When my wife and I decided to move to London, Ontario, I made a shift to the private consulting sector, taking a role at Dillon Consulting Limited as a transportation engineer and planner. My primary technical duties centred around transportation and microsimulation modelling for master plans, as well as various planning and operational tasks. This professional chapter underscored a lasting lesson — the significance of providing value to individuals and clients throughout one's career.
My passion for transportation engineering remained undiminished, but in 2016, a new fascination emerged - blockchain technology and its potential for the transportation industry. I developed a tool to facilitate the sharing of transportation data among industry stakeholders, leading to an opportunity to present my findings at the international ITE conference in 2017 in Toronto. It was during this period that a former mentor persuaded me to join the City of London, working in their traffic signals division.
My time at the City of London was transformative. It fulfilled my long-sought goal of working in a traffic signals division - a dream that had taken root during my teenage years. Here, I gained hands-on experience, from managing traffic signal systems to overseeing red light camera installations. I also had the privilege of crafting a comprehensive connected and automated vehicle (CAV) plan from scratch, which ultimately received City Council approval.
During my time at the City of London, I acquired extensive knowledge spanning the planning, development, procurement, implementation, and operations of traffic signal systems. My responsibilities were diverse, ranging from constructing a Transportation Management Center to upgrading their traffic signal system. Additionally, I played a key role in developing a traffic camera system, a travel time system, a cellular and fibre optic communications system, and various other data tools. This experience broadened my understanding of sophisticated transportation solutions, infrastructure communication systems, and working with the public more closely to understand everyday operational transportation issues and how to deal with them.
This year, I took a leap of faith in my career. I decided to step away and embark on a sabbatical year with my family. We are currently exploring Europe, revisiting cherished places and discovering new ones. It's a once-in-a-lifetime, unique opportunity to prioritize quality time with my family and create lasting memories.
As I continue on this sabbatical adventure and my eventual return to Canada in 2024, I know that the next chapter of my career will be filled with exciting challenges and opportunities, wherever the road may lead.
Cheers and thank you to everyone who has read my articles in 2023! Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and I’ll return in 2024!
Jon, this article was a great read. I'm not sure if you know him but Brian Barg of Tacel has become known around the office as Traffic's Most Interesting Man ... I do believe you're giving him a real run for his money. Thanks for sharing!