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Active research projects
The projects below are currently active.
They are arranged according to their key research area. The seven key research areas are listed at left. Scroll down to see all of the active projects.
For information on any of these projects, please contact the research organisation directly or email research@nzta.govt.nz.
This page is updated every three months. Last updated 10 October 2008. See research reports to view the reports of completed projects.
Economic development
To improve the valuation of economic benefits of land transport activities.
| Year commissioned | Project title | Researcher |
|---|---|---|
| 2009/10 | The Benefits of Public Transport: Option and Non-use Values | Ian Wallis Associates Ltd |
| 2009/10 | NZ Bus Policy Model | Ian Wallis Associates Ltd |
| 2009/10 | Sustainability Implications of Road Investment | Ian Wallis Associates Ltd |
| 2009/10 | Scoping approach and measuring the impact of indexing unit cost parameters in cost-benefit analysis | Hyder Consulting Ltd |
| 2009/10 | Car Passenger Valuations of Quantity and Quality of Time Savings | Ian Wallis Associates Ltd |
| 2009/10 | Fleet management commitment to fuel efficiency | TERNZ Ltd |
| 2009/10 | Econometric models for public transport (PT) forecasting - Elasticity estimates and forecasting models | DMK Consulting |
Activity management
To improve the performance of land transport activities and assets.
| Year commissioned | Project title | Researcher |
|---|---|---|
| pre 2005/06 | High Stress Corners | Opus Central Laboratories |
| pre 2005/06 | Modelling Extreme Traffic Loading Effects | Opus Central Laboratories |
| 2005/06 | Compaction of Thick Granular Layers | Opus Central Laboratories |
| 2005/06 | Selection of Aggregates for Skid Resistance | Opus Central Laboratories |
| 2005/06 | Quantifying the Effect of Road Roughness (and Test Speed) on GripTester Measurements | Auckland Uniservices |
| 2006/07 | More effective anti-icing treatments using risk analysis | Opus Central Laboratories |
| 2006/07 | The Design of Stabilised Pavements in New Zealand | Transit New Zealand |
| 2006/07 | What Asphalt Surfacing Should be Used and How to Ensure it Meets its Design Life | Transit New Zealand |
| 2006/07 | The use of risk analysis to optimise pavement design | Opus Central Laboratories |
| 2006/07 | Investigating the Contribution of Sealing Chip Application Rates to the Early Failure of Chip Seals | Fulton Hogan |
| 2007/08 | Rationalisation of the strength definition and quantification of NZ roads based on falling weight deflectometer tests (FWD) | MWH New Zealand/University of Auckland |
| 2007/08 | Abrasion resistance of aggregates in asphalt | Bartley Consultants Ltd |
| 2007/08 | Design moisture condition guidelines for pavement design and material assessment | Opus Central Laboratories |
| 2007/08 | The influence of binder rise in reducing typre-road friction | Opus Central Laboratories |
| 2007/08 | Earthquake performance of long span arch culverts (stage 2) | Opus International Consultants |
| 2007/08 | Long life porous asphalt | Opus Central Laboratories |
| 2007/08 | Multi-grade bitumens | Opus Central Laboratories |
| 2007/08 | Influence of surface treatments on the service lives of concrete bridges | Opus Central Laboratories |
| 2007/08 | Development of a basecourse/sub base design criterion | Pavespec Ltd |
| 2007/08 | Pavement thickness design charts derived from rut depth models | Pavespec Ltd |
| 2008/09 | Benchmarking the readiness of Road Controlling Authorities to meet their obligations under the CDEM Act 2002 | University of Canterbury |
| 2008/09 | Case studies and best practice guidelines for risk management on road networks | RIMS Group/NAMS Group |
| 2008/09 | Decision tool to mitigate prestressed concrete bridge corrosion | University of Auckland |
| 2008/09 | Design of prestressed concrete bridges to resist shear | University of Auckland |
| 2008/09 | Development of tensile fatigue pavement design criteria for modified aggregates | Pavespec Ltd |
| 2008/09 | Earthquake resistant design of bridges - abutment/backfill influences on response and retrofit decisions | University of Auckland |
| 2008/09 | Retrofit assessment of bridge pile foundations | University of Auckland |
| 2008/09 | Data collection and monitoring strategies for asset management of NZ road bridges | University of Auckland/Opus International Consultants |
| 2008/09 | Enhancing the application of roughness measurement and deterioration | Pavement Management Services/R&D Consultants/University of Auckland |
| 2008/09 | Pavement rehabilitation initiation | Opus Central Laboratories |
| 2008/09 | Screening bridges for potentially high dynamic loads using profile variance | Opus Central Laboratories |
| 2008/09 | Concrete pile durability in South Island bridges | Opus Central Laboratories |
| 2008/09 | Asphalt durability | Opus Central Laboratories/EDI Works |
| 2008/09 | Are chipseals waterproof enough on high volume roads? | Transit NZ/Opus International Consultants/University of Auckland |
| 2008/09 | Oversight of pavement monitoring programme (DR) | MWH New Zealand |
| 2009/10 | Steel/Concrete Composite Bridge Design Guide | NZ Heavy Engineering Research Association |
| 2009/10 | Extending Pavement Life: Documentation of distress mechanism of premature failures in unbound granular pavements and validation of criteria for their prevention | Tonkin & Taylor |
| 2009/10 | Characterisation and Use of Stabilised Materials in Transportation Projects in New Zealand | Opus International Consultants |
| 2009/10 | Potential of the Wehner-Schulze test to predict the on road skid resistance performance of NZ aggregates. | Opus Central Laboratories |
Integrated land use and transport systems
To more efficiently manage transport and integration with land use.
| Year commissioned | Project title | Researcher |
|---|---|---|
| 2009/10 | National Travel Profiling - Trips, Trends & Travel Prediction (part B) | Trips Database Bureau (TDB) |
| 2009/10 | Development of indicators for monitoring successful land use transport integration projects | CityScope Consultants |
| 2009/10 | The value of integrating land use and transport - Sylvia Park as a case study | McCormick Rankin Cagney |
| 2009/10 | Reallocation of Road Space | Beca Infrastructure Ltd |
| 2009/10 | Second Edition of Report 209 ('Trips and Parking Related to Land Use) | Trips Database Bureau (TDB) |
Transport demand management
To manage the people and freight demand for transport and provide impetus for changing transport choices.
| Year commissioned | Project title | Researcher |
|---|---|---|
| pre 2005/06 | Benefits for Provision for Interface between Cycling and Public Transport | Beca Infrastructure |
| 2005/06 | Before and After Studies - implementation new/improved pedestrian facilities | Beca Infrastructure |
| 2005/06 | Experience with Value-for-Money Urban Public Transport System Enhancements | Booz Allen Hamilton (now Booz and Co) |
| pre 2005/06 | Travel Demand Estimation | John Shrewsbury |
| 2006/07 | Evidential Based Guidelines for Temporary Speed Limits | Opus Central Laboratories |
| 2006/07 | A Short Through Lane Utilisation Database for Traffic Signals | GHD Ltd |
| 2006/07 | Framework for a National ITS architecture | Hyder Consulting (NZ) Ltd |
| 2006/07 | Development and Application of NZ Car Ownership and Traffic Forecasting Model | Booz Allen Hamilton (now Booz and Co) |
| 2006/07 | The Impacts of Road Improvements on Congestion | Booz Allen Hamilton (now Booz and Co) |
| 2006/07 | Exploring methods of building sustained participation in cycle communting | Pinnacle Research and Policy |
| 2006/07 | Feasibility study of a national trip end model for New Zealand | John Bolland Consulting |
| 2007/08 | Effectiveness of incident management on network reliability - Stage 2 | University of Canterbury |
| 2007/08 | Minimum design parameters for cycle connectivity | Opus International Consultants Ltd, Opus Central Laboratories |
| 2007/08 | Improved rate-of-rotation design limits | Opus Central Laboratories |
| 2007/08 | National travel profiling - (a) Description of daily travel patterns | NZTPDC Inc |
| 2007/08 | Auditing public transport accessibility in New Zealand | Pinnacle Research and Policy |
| 2007/08 | Appraisal of factors influencing public transport patronage | Booz Allen Hamilton (now Booz and Co) |
| 2008/09 | Transit lane or bus lane? | GHD Ltd |
| 2008/09 | Minimising traffic delay during resealing | Opus Central Laboratories/Fulton Hogan |
| 2008/09 | Incorporating travel time reliability in the estimation of assignment models | Tau Squared Ltd |
| 2008/09 | Travel demand behaviour change with increasing fuel price as a function of affluence for a similar activity cohort | University of Canterbury |
| 2008/09 | An assessment of the type of cycle infrastructure required to attract new cyclists | University of Canterbury |
| 2008/09 | Improving evaluation and monitoring through better understanding of kilometres travelled and vehicle occupancy in urban areas | Capital Research/Pinnacle Research and Policy |
| 2008/09 | "I'll just take the car" - how can the urban environment and bicycle transportation be improved to discourage automobile use for short trips? | Massey University/Otago Polytechnic |
| 2008/09 | Improving bus service reliability | Ian Wallis Associates |
| 2009/10 | Company cars - Understanding the impacts of company car policy on strategic transport targets | Booz and Company |
Safety, security and public health
To improve the safety, security and public health of users, communities and the sector workforce through improvements to the land transport system.
| Year commissioned | Project title | Researcher |
|---|---|---|
| pre 2005/06 | Crash Risk Relationships for Improved Safety Management of Roads | Opus Central Laboratories |
| pre 2005/06 | Street Lighting for Safe and Attractive Pedestrian Areas | Opus Central Laboratories |
| 2006/07 | Crash Rate Relationships for Quantifying the Safety Improvement Potential of Road Networks | Opus Central Laboratories |
| 2006/07 | Fatigue Engineering Countermeasures in New Zealand | ARRB |
| 2006/07 | New Techniques (Countdown pedestrian timers) to Improve the Safety and Efficiency of signal controlled Pedestrian Crossings | MWH New Zealand |
| 2006/07 | Improved delineation: a new method of assessing the effect of better delineation on driving | Opus Central Laboratories |
| 2007/08 | School bus safety | TERNZ |
| 2007/08 | Rural crash prediction models - next generation | Beca Infrastructure |
| 2007/08 | Improved effectiveness and innovation for audio tactile profiled roadmarkings | Opus Central Laboratories |
| 2008/09 | Effectiveness of transverse road markings on reducing vehicle speeds | Opus International Consultants |
| 2008/09 | Determining the mechanisms and types of non-motor vehicle injuries to pedestrians using the transport system, and indicated infrastructural implications | Opus Central Laboratories |
| 2008/09 | Investigation of passing lane safety benefits, including upstream and downstream areas | Opus Central Laboratories |
| 2008/09 | Improving transport around schools | TERNZ |
| 2008/09 | Gap acceptance accident prediction models | Beca Infrastructure |
| 2008/09 | Evaluation of the C-Roundabout - a new design tool for economically improving safety and capacity at urban road junctions | Traffic Engineering Solutions |
| 2008/09 | Improved multi-lane roundabout designs for all road users | Traffic Engineering Solutions |
| 2008/09 | Seismic design of NZ highway bridges under non-uniform multiple support ground excitations | University of Auckland |
| 2009/10 | Detailed observations and validated modelling of the air quality impact of traffic on roadside communities | NIWA |
| 2009/10 | Crash Prediction Models for Signalised Intersections: Signal Phasing and Geometry | Beca Infrastructure Ltd |
| 2009/10 | Rural Crash Prediction Models - Next Generation (Main Study) | Beca Infrastructure Ltd |
Environmental impacts of land transport
To measure the impacts of land transport construction, operation and maintenance emissions/pollutants on the natural and built environment.
| Year commissioned | Project title | Researcher |
|---|---|---|
| pre 2005/06 | The Effect of Rainfall and Contaminants on Road Pavement Skid Resistance | University of Auckland |
| 2005/06 | Ground Vibration Levels from Road Construction Operations | Opus Central Laboratories |
| 2005/06 | Guidelines for Proving Compliance with the Noise Conditions of Roading Consents | Opus Central Laboratories |
| pre 2005/06 | Quantifying the Benefits of Wast Minimisation in Road Contruction and Maintenance | Opus Central Laboratories |
| 2006/07 | New Zealand Transportation Assessment Guidelines | NZTPDC Inc |
| 2007/08 | Enhancing the control of contaminants from New Zealand's roads | National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Science Ltd (NIWA) |
| 2008/09 | Determination of personal exposure to traffic pollution while travelling by different modes | University of Canterbury |
| 2008/09 | Environmental and financial costs and benefits of warm asphalts | Opus Central Laboratories |
| 2008/09 | Improving the benefit cost ratio for highways through multi-use management | Landcare Research |
| 2009/10 | Evaluation of Innovative Stormwater Treatment Devices for Removing Contaminants in Road Runoff | NIWA |
| 2009/10 | Life time environmental impacts of road transport infrastructure and construction | Landcare Research |
| 2009/10 | Are the Harmful Emissions from New Zealand's Light Duty Vehicle Fleet Improving? | NIWA and Emissions Impossible Limited |
Sustainable land transport
To improve the sustainability of the land transport system.
| Year commissioned | Project title | Researcher |
|---|---|---|
| 2005/06 | Freight Transportation Efficiency: A Comparitive Study of Coastal Shipping, Rail and Road Modes | Opus Central Laboratories |
| 2005/06 | Transport Corridors and Community Structures | Malcolm Douglass |
| 2006/07 | Improving social responsibility in the land transport sector: what does it really mean? | Pinnacle Research and Policy |
| 2006/07 | Reducing pedestrian delay at traffic signals | Beca Infrastructure |
| 2006/07 | Develop neighbourhood accessibility tool (DR) | Accommodate Group Ltd |
| 2007/08 | The implications of discount rate reductions on transport investments and sustainable transport futures | Hyder Consulting (NZ) Ltd |
| 2007/08 | Climate change effects on the land transport network (DR) | MWH New Zealand |
| 2008/09 | Health effects of intervening in the trip to work | University of Otago/University of Auckland/Massey University/Synergia |
| 2008/09 | Tools for assessing exposure to land transport emissions | National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Science Ltd (NIWA) |
| 2008/09 | Public transport network planning: an Australasian guide to best practice | Massey University |
| 2008/09 | Addressing the social impacts of poor access to transport in rural New Zealand | Fitzgerald Applied Sociology |
| 2008/09 | Low emission, fuel efficient vehicles | TERNZ |
| 2008/09 | Demand-responsiveness passenger transport in low demand situations | Booz Allen Hamilton (now Booz and Co) |
| 2008/09 | Attitudes and behaviour in relation to public transport: a study of trends in passenger transport usage in New Zealand's non-metropolitan regions | Massey University |
| 2008/09 | Appraisal of the effectiveness of increased public transport funding | Ian Wallis Associates |
| 2008/09 | Experience with the development of off-peak public transport services | Ian Wallis Associates |
| 2008/09 | The costs of congestion reappraised | Ian Wallis Associates |
| 2008/09 | Slow zones: their impact on mode choice and travel behaviour | Pinnacle Research and Policy/Capital Research Ltd |
| 2008/09 | How does central city intensification impact on people's travel behaviour? Do people live where they work and play? | Pinnacle Research and Policy/Ian Wallis Associates |
| 2008/09 | A wider look at how travellers value the quality and quantity of travel time | Pinnacle Research and Policy/Ian Wallis Associates |
| 2009/10 | Improving combined use of physical activity/health and transport datasets | Capital Research Ltd |
| 2009/10 | Predicting Walkability | Abley Transportation Engineers |
| 2009/10 | Demand for transport services - Impact on networks of older person travel as the population of New Zealand ages | Opus Central Laboratories |
| 2009/10 | Generation of walking, cycling and public transport trips - pilot study | Traffic Design Group Limited |
NOTE: (DR) = Directed research
Last updated: 10 November 2009