The projects below are currently active.
They are arranged according to their seven key research areas, namely:
- Economic development
- Activity management
- Integrated land use and transport systems
- Transport demand management
- Safety, security and public health
- Environmental impacts of land transport
- Sustainable land transport
For information on any of these projects, please contact the research organisation directly or email research@nzta.govt.nz.
TBA - To Be Advised - researcher details will be updated when the research project has been commissioned.
This page is updated on an ongoing basis as research is completed. 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2011/12 | Future Performance: National Transport Demand Forecast Model | TBA |
| 2011/12 | Estimating place making and urban regeneration benefits of transport projects | TBA |
| 2011/12 | The Strategic Electronic Monitoring and Regulation of Freight Movement for the Upper North Island | TBA |
| 2011/12 | Ongoing domestic freight volume information | TBA |
| 2011/12 | Transport component of freight supply chains | TBA |
| 2010/11 | Mechanisms to ensure transport users and non-users fully pay the costs for benefits from transport infrastructure and services | NERA Economic Consulting |
| 2010/11 | Transport's proportion of total costs for New Zealand businesses | NERA Economic Consulting |
| 2010/11 | Methodologies to quantify the economic productivity and land use impacts of transformational/structural transport investment | Opus International Consulting |
| 2010/11 | Reliability and freight research | Beca Infrastructure |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2011/12 | A new vehicle loading standard for road bridges in New Zealand | TBA |
| 2011/12 | Fatigue design criteria for road bridges in New Zealand | TBA |
| 2011/12 | The relationship between vehicle axle loadings and pavement wear on local roads | TBA |
| 2011/12 | Reduce flushing to improve chipseal life | TBA |
| 2011/12 | Review of the NZTA Treatment Selection Algorithm (TSA) | TBA |
| 2010/2011 | Improvement of visual road condition assessment data | Beca Infrastructure |
| 2010/2011 | Performance Indicator Analysis and applying Levels of Service | Beca Infrastructure |
| 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 |
| 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 | 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 | 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 |
| 2007/08 | Abrasion resistance of aggregates in asphalt | Bartley Consultants Ltd |
| 2007/08 | Long life porous asphalt | Opus Central Laboratories |
| 2007/08 | Multi-grade bitumens | 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| pre 2005/06 | Modelling Extreme Traffic Loading Effects | Opus Central Laboratories |
Integrated land use and transport systems
To more efficiently manage transport and integration with land use.
| Year commissioned | Project title | Researcher |
|---|---|---|
| 2011/12 | Operating Characteristics & Economic Benefits for 2+1 Lanes with/without ITS-Assisted Merging | TBA |
| 2011/12 | Current Performance: Blueprint for best practice measurement indicator set and benchmarking | TBA |
| 2010/11 | National mapping of integrated transport and land use | Beca Infrastructure |
| 2009/10 | Reallocation of Road Space | Beca Infrastructure Ltd |
Transport demand management
To manage the people and freight demand for transport and provide impetus for changing transport choices.
| Year commissioned | Project title | Researcher |
|---|---|---|
| 2011/12 | Strategies for enhancing the customer experience of public transport | TBA |
| 2011/12 | Pricing strategies for public transport services | TBA |
| 2011/12 | Identify NZ public transport demand elasticity | TBA |
| 2011/12 | Improve the cost and benefit analysis of public transport, walking and cycling | TBA |
| 2011/12 | Establishing optimal fare and subsidy settings for public transport systems in New Zealand | TBA |
| 2010/11 | Identify, evaluate and recommend bus priority interventions | AECOM |
| 2010/11 | Contribution of public transport to economic productivity | McCormick Rankin Cagney |
| 2009/10 | Company cars - Understanding the impacts of company car policy on strategic transport targets | Booz and Company |
| 2008/09 | Transit lane or bus lane? | GHD Ltd |
| 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 | Improving bus service reliability | Ian Wallis Associates |
| 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 | Appraisal of factors influencing public transport patronage | Booz Allen Hamilton (now Booz and Co) |
| 2006/07 | A Short Through Lane Utilisation Database for Traffic Signals | GHD Ltd |
| 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 |
| 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 |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2011/12 | The types of incentives different groups of drivers respond most effectively | TBA |
| 2011/12 | Driver risk from blood alcohol levels between 50 and 80 mg/100ml | TBA |
| 2011/12 | Stability of Two-Wheeled Vehicles on Audio Tactile Markings | TBA |
| 2011/12 | Use of Roadside Barriers versus Clear Zoning | TBA |
| 2011/12 | Assessment of the relationship between crash rates, rutting and the marginal cost of maintaining lower rut depths | TBA |
| 2011/12 | Economic Evaluation of the Impact of Safer Speed | TBA |
| 2010/11 | Intelligent Speed Adaptation (ISA) in New Zealand | MWH New Zealand |
| 2010/11 | Drug driving in New Zealand | Beca Infrastructure |
| 2010/11 | Point-to-point cameras in New Zealand | AECOM |
| 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 |
| 2008/09 | Effectiveness of transverse road markings on reducing vehicle speeds | Opus International Consultants |
| 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 |
| 2007/08 | Rural crash prediction models - next generation | Beca Infrastructure |
| 2007/08 | Improved effectiveness and innovation for audio tactile profiled roadmarkings | Opus Central Laboratories |
| 2006/07 | Crash Rate Relationships for Quantifying the Safety Improvement Potential of Road Networks | Opus Central Laboratories |
| 2006/07 | New Techniques (Countdown pedestrian timers) to Improve the Safety and Efficiency of signal controlled Pedestrian Crossings | MWH New Zealand |
| pre 2005/06 | Crash Risk Relationships for Improved Safety Management of Roads | Opus Central Laboratories |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 2008/09 | Impact of urban forms on economic outcomes and land transport (DR) | McCormick Rankin Cagney |
| 2008/09 | Improving the benefit cost ratio for highways through multi-use management | Landcare Research |
| 2006/07 | New Zealand Transportation Assessment Guidelines | NZTPDC Inc |
| 2005/06 | Ground Vibration Levels from Road Construction Operations | Opus Central Laboratories |
| pre 2005/06 | Quantifying the Benefits of Wast Minimisation in Road Contruction and Maintenance | Opus Central Laboratories |
| pre 2005/06 | The Effect of Rainfall and Contaminants on Road Pavement Skid Resistance | University of Auckland |
Sustainable land transport
To improve the sustainability of the land transport system.
| Year commissioned | Project title | Researcher |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 2008/09 | Tools for assessing exposure to land transport emissions | National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Science Ltd (NIWA) |
| 2008/09 | Addressing the social impacts of poor access to transport in rural New Zealand | Fitzgerald Applied Sociology |
| 2008/09 | Demand-responsiveness passenger transport in low demand situations | Booz Allen Hamilton (now Booz and Co) |
| 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 |
| 2006/07 | Develop neighbourhood accessibility tool (DR) | Accommodate Group Ltd |
| 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 |
