Confused on graduate school path

Hi /r/transit community,

I'm looking to make a career change into public transit planning, especially the demand modeling, smart cities and forecasting side. My background is unrelated (I have BAs in Poli Sci and Economics) and I'm currently in community college completing pre reqs to apply for masters programs.

I'm confused as to what I should study to get to transit planning. My impression is that most demand modeling and forecasting in the transit world are do e by engineers, specifically civil engineers that have focused in transportation. I'm not really interested in the physical infrastructure itself (though don't mind learning it as it is important) but am more interested in creating systems.

But I also notice the work itself is very statistics-heavy and incorporates planning. So, my question is which type of degree is more useful to me? Would getting an MS in statistics be a possible path? Or would getting a masters in urban planning while focusing on quantitative courses be best?

Additionally, some people say getting a masters in engineering is useless without work experience. Is this true? Should I aim to do a BS in transportation engineering then?

Any advice and clarity from practicing professionals and students would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!