WHAT IS THE VALUE OF THE PROFESSIONAL TRANSPORTATION PLANNER CERTIFICATION?
Steven Gayle, PTP, Vice Chair Transportation Professional Certification Board

Although the Professional Transportation Planner certification is now four years old, many transportation planners still have questions about the program, and its value. This article is meant to address those questions.

PTP is administered by the Transportation Professional Certification Board (TPCB). What is the TPCB? Is it part of ITE?

The TPCB is an independent corporation with its own Board of Directors. ITE provided the resources to support the initial work of the TPCB through a loan that has been fully repaid. ITE continues to provide staff support and other services; the TPCB pays for those, and is nearing financial self-sufficiency. All decision making is solely that of the TPCB Board of Directors.

How is the PTP examination developed and administered?

The TPCB contracts with Castle Worldwide, Inc., a very reputable firm in the area of test preparation, administration, and psychometrics that has contracts for such services with more than 80 associations. The initial effort of writing and screening questions is done by volunteer professionals. At that point, Castle takes over and prepares the examination. Because Castle has contracts with many test centers, the TPCB decided two years ago to change from a paper based exam to an internet-based exam. By doing so, access was increased many fold, in terms of both locations and time. The exam is made available for three months each year: March, June, and October.

What is the value of accreditation to the certification programs of the TPCB?

The Transportation Professional Certification Board submits its programs to the Institute for Credentialing Excellence (ICE) and its accrediting body, the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) for their review and action. ICE is in turn recognized by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) as the Standards Developer for certification.

The Professional Transportation Operations Engineer (PTOE) and Professional Traffic Planner programs have been accredited by NCCA. Why does this matter? NCCA accreditation is the gold standard for certification programs. This creates such benefits as being eligible for funding by the U.S. Veterans Administration under their training program.

Bottom line: What is the value of PTP certification to practicing transportation planners?

Like any other certification, PTP brings recognition to both the planner and his/her employer. This credential distinguishes you from any other practitioner by stating with absolute certainty that you have the knowledge, skills, and abilities to practice transportation planning at a professional level. For public agencies, having PTPs on staff tells both elected officials and the public that the agency values the employment of highly competent professional staff, and that the technical work it produces carries an assurance of competence. For consulting firms, employing PTPs increase your ability to compete for transportation planning projects because you can demonstrate your professionalism.

Finally, many of the individuals who now hold the PTP certification tell us that having earned it brings a sense of personal satisfaction, and creates a way to demonstrate to your peers that you are not just a transportation planner, but in fact a professional.

Both programs provide a credential that certifies the holder as a professional transportation planner. Eligibility for the Professional Transportation Planner certification is based on education and work experience, and successful completion of a certification examination. Eligibility for the AICP Certified Transportation Planner is more complex, in that it first requires earning the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) certification.
This information is from the TPCB and AICP websites as of 8/15/2010