Transportation Planning Intern

Full Job Description

The Transportation Planning Internship is designed for students pursuing a career in transportation planning who are seeking professional experience within a local government setting.

This internship provides exposure to a wide range of planning activities led by the Nashville Department of Transportation and Multimodal Infrastructure (NDOT) Planning team.

The Transportation Planning Intern (intern) will support multiple program areas, including Transportation Demand Management (TDM), Tactical Urbanism, long-range and system planning (such as corridor, small area, and countywide plans), and project development activities, including projects funded through the Choose How You Move (CHYM) program.

The internship is structured to provide a well-rounded experience across these focus areas, with opportunities to tailor assignments based on the intern’s interests and strengths.

Under general supervision, the intern will work with various planners across the division and contribute to ongoing planning efforts that advance multimodal mobility, safety, and accessibility throughout Nashville and Davidson County.

The Department of Transportation and Multimodal Infrastructure delivers a range of services, and the nearly 400 employees work around the clock to ensure a multimodal system that offers choice and better connects neighborhoods, residents, businesses and visitors to the place that they need and want to go to in a safe manner. These employees are responsible for over 2,200 miles of public roadways and rights-of-way, over 6,000 streets, over 300 bridges, 835 traffic signals and over 1,200 miles of bike/sidewalk lanes and much more. Big events in Nashville consist of CMA Festival, Stanley Cup Finals, Titans games, and any number of special events. These require big preparation and big clean-up, and the Nashville Department of Transportation employees are up for the challenge.

**** Internship is Part-Time (Temporary) 12 weeks/ May 4th-July 24, 2026****

Requirements

• Assists with data collection, analysis, and synthesis to support planning studies and project development.
• Supports a variety of planning efforts, including TDM initiatives, Tactical Urbanism projects, and long-range planning studies.
• Contributes to project development tasks such as background research, mapping, and concept-level analysis.
• Conducts research on best practices, policies, and peer city approaches.
• Participates in meetings, workshops, and (as appropriate) community engagement activities.
• Assists preparing maps, graphics, reports, and presentation materials.
• Performs other related duties assigned.

Qualifications

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

Enrollment in accredited undergraduate or graduate program in Urban and Regional Planning, Transportation Planning, or closely related field, with completion of a minimum of 2 years of undergraduate study.

***No Substitution***

Candidates with accreditations earned in a foreign institute are encouraged to apply.

Note: Per Metro Ordinance No. SO94-1078. All employees of the Metropolitan Government shall be residents of the State of Tennessee or become residents of the state within six (6) months of employment as a prerequisite to employment with the Metropolitan Government.

Additional Information

• Interest in multimodal transportation planning, including walking, biking, transit, and emerging mobility strategies.
• Familiarity with transportation planning concepts such as complete streets, TDM, and land use–transportation integration.
• Experience with GIS tools and spatial analysis (e.g., ArcGIS Pro or similar platforms).
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office suite (Excel, Word, PowerPoint).
• Strong written, analytical, and communication skills.
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively in a team environment.

We are an equal opportunity employer. All individuals, regardless of personal characteristics, are encouraged to apply. Metro Nashville is committed to selecting the most qualified candidate for each of our roles.

Metro Nashville Government respects the religious beliefs and practices of all employees and will make, on request, an accommodation for such observances when a reasonable accommodation is available that does not create an undue hardship on business operations.

Requests for ADA or other protected accommodations for the recruitment process should be directed to Human Resources at 615-862-6640.