PTOE ?

[Road Guy]

Profesional Traffic Operations Engineer..

I have some friends (traffic engineers) who really want to take this test. You have to have a PE + 4 or 5 years experience... I dont see the point, it doesnt mean anything?

I just cant see ever taking another exam just to get some meaningless credentials(letters) behind your name..

 

[EdinNO]

I guess it couldn't hurt if the test isn't too brutal.

I sometimes consider the CEM (certified energy manager) which really carries no weight. I certainly need to pass my PE test first, which I hope I did in April.

The CEM may just teach me a thing or two and possibly help my company and'or give me an edge in the job market.

We'll see....

Ed

 

[RIP - VTEnviro]

I've thought once or twice about taking the CPESC (Cert Pro in Erosion and Sediment Control) and the spec writing certification exam through CSI.

But that's all stuff you can do with a PE anyway. So I wonder if its overkill to take those or not. And if it will really do much for me in the long run.

 

[Road Guy]

I could see the one on erosion control, I think the PTOE is something traffic engineers came up with because they think they get even less respect than you average engineer...

 

[RIP - VTEnviro]

The CPESC certification basically gives a non-PE certain authority: signing off on an ESC plan, conducting site inspections for compliance with ESC/stormwater permits, etc.

Nothing a PE couldn't do.

 

[Road Guy]

some states requuire you to be EC certified to do EC plans, Georgia Requires at least one person in each company take the EC- Superivsor Class (or something similar) in addition to the PE.

 

[RIP - VTEnviro]

rly: Wow, I'm not sure what the deal is in Vermont. In NY, where I used to work, it could be a CPESC or a PE to sign off on that stuff.

Then again, NY isn't a discipline specific state on your stamp, it just says PE, and I saw guys way out of their league stamping stuff.

 

[Ugly Kid Joe]

PTOE = :thatsgay: :thatsgay: :thatsgay:

 

[CEMENT_]

:fool: credentials give you cred. I can't see where it would hurt, it may not help in the short term for your career, but if it makes you feel better about what you do, and maybe helps you do it better, why not? I am thinking about going for the certerfied project manager, which means nothing where I work, but maybe will help me stand out on future applications?

 

[Trafficnerd]

The PTOE does not require PE + 4-5 additional years of experience. Originally when ITE was developing the PTOE this was stressed, however, they count experience before the PE and also give experience credit for advanced education. Net result is that I have some friends who tested for and passed the PTOE less than 2 months after receiving their PE, which they earned less than 4 years after getting their master degrees.

One thing PTOE is useful for is some agencies have begun requiring project managers to have them for their traffic services on-call contracts. Other than that, most of the people pass the test and there is little benefit to the certification. For the PTOE exam in San Antonio at the ITE Technical conference a few months back, 21 of the 22 examinees passed the exam. Some who admittedly had little to no traffic experience.

 

[Road Guy]

so they did away with the post PE 4 years? Thats good.