Through its Research Programme, the NZ Transport Agency invests in innovative and relevant research which plays a critical role in contributing to the government's goals for transport.
The results of Transport Agency research must be readily applicable to interventions that can be cost effectively applied in New Zealand in the short-to-medium term for longer term impacts. This page lists all active Transport Agency Research Programme research projects and being updated on an ongoing basis as research is completed.
For further information, you can either:
- search for reports of completed projects
- view an index of all the online reports on one page
- download a detailed spreadsheet of the published reports .
Key research areas
The projects listed below are currently active. They are arranged according to 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
- Performance monitoring
Contact
For information on any of these projects, please contact the research organisation directly or email research@nzta.govt.nz .
Economic development
To improve the valuation of economic benefits of land transport activities.
| Year commissioned | Project title | Researcher |
|---|---|---|
| 2016/17 | Valuing time and reliability for freight transport beyond the allocation of marginal vehicle and driver utilisation costs | Market Economics Ltd |
| 2016/17 | Assessment of the value, to end users, of the Transport Agency Research Programme reports | Evalue Research Ltd |
| 2016/17 | Quantifying the influence of internet communication and commerce on transport demand | Opus Research, Opus International Consultants Ltd |
| 2016/17 | Impacts of demographic changes on the New Zealand land transport system | Infometrics Consulting Ltd |
| 2016/17 | A pilot study to determine the relative value of non-market transport impacts of investment | Resource Economics Ltd |
| 2016/17 | The impact on the transport sector of new technology adoption and the rate of technology diffusion (the S curve) | PricewaterhouseCoopers Ltd |
| 2016/17 | Next generation New Zealand transport models | Traffic Design Group Ltd |
| 2016/17 | Approaches to estimating regional input-output tables | Holt Data Science Ltd |
| 2016/17 | How to compare, evaluate and optimise the expenditure and benefits of maintenance and renewals, operations and improvements for roads and capital projects | HoustonKemp Economist Ltd |
| 2016/17 | Systems dynamics investigation between freight flows, economic development/productivity and network performance in the upper North Island | Infometrics Consulting Ltd |
2015/16 | Incorporating and assessing travel demand uncertainty in transport investment appraisals | ECPC Ltd |
Activity management
To improve the performance of land transport activities and assets.
| Year commissioned | Project title | Researcher |
|---|---|---|
| 2016/17 | Condition assessment process for unsealed roads | University of Auckland |
| 2016/17 | Network and asset management benefits of real time data | Abley Transportation Consultants Ltd |
| 2016/17 | Standardisation of laboratory compaction energies | Opus Research, Opus International Consultants Ltd |
| 2016/17 | Effect of road seal type on resistance to traffic stresses | Opus Research, Opus International Consultants |
| 2016/17 | Performance benefits of polymer modified bitumen binders for thin surfacings | Opus Research, Opus International Consultants |
| 2015/16 | Optimal life cycle management of bridges | Opus International Consultants Ltd |
2015/16 | Analysis and interpretation of Long Term Pavement Performance data to support economic intervention decisions | Opus International Consultants Ltd |
2015/16 | Best practice for pavement stabilisation in New Zealand | Opus International Consultants Ltd |
| 2014/15 | Expected maintenance rates for pavement surfaces | Opus International Consultants |
| 2014/15 | Best practice for digout and pothole repairs | Road Science (Downer New Zealand Ltd) |
| 2013/14 | Understanding the long term asset management requirements of low noise road surfaces | Opus International Consultants |
| 2013/14 | Getting the best value from delineation | Opus International Consultants |
| 2011/12 | The relationship between vehicle axle loadings and pavement wear on local roads | CAPTIF |
Integrated land use and transport systems
To more efficiently manage transport and integration with land use.
| Year commissioned | Project title | Researcher |
|---|---|---|
| 2016/17 | Factors affecting cycling levels of service | Opus Research, Opus International Consultants Ltd |
| 2015/16 | Investigation of New Zealand's technical readiness to support the deployment of automated and connected vehicles | AECOM New Zealand 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2016/17 | Technology related transport skill requirements and availability | Business & Economic Research Ltd |
| 2016/17 | The New Zealand public's readiness for connected- and autonomous-vehicles (including driverless), car and ride sharing schemes and the social impacts arising from these | University of Waikato |
| 2015/16 | Network data standards for transport networks | Queensland University of Technology |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2016/17 | Drivers' response to warnings/information provided by in-vehicle applications/systems | University of Waikato |
| 2016/17 | Post impact care – the fifth pillar – how well New Zealand delivers post impact care through to hospitalisation | Opus Research, Opus International Consultants Ltd |
| 2016/17 | Electric bicycle and low-powered vehicles standards and safety | ViaStrada Ltd |
| 2015/16 | Role of substance impaired driving on medical review processes | Monash University Accident Research Centre |
2015/16 | Human factor considerations for driver licensing point system | University of New South Wales |
2015/16 | Identifying and managing priority safety risks for rail | Navigatus Consulting Ltd |
| 2015/16 | The crash performance of seagull intersections and left turn slip lanes | MWH New Zealand Ltd |
| 2014/15 | The prevalence and impairment effects of drugged driving in New Zealand | University of Waikato |
| 2014/15 | Speed limit reductions to support lower SCRIM investigatory levels | Opus International Consultants |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2016/17 | Testing New Zealand vehicles to measure real-world fuel use and exhaust emissions | Emission Impossible Ltd |
| 2016/17 | Great kiwi road trips — Improving understanding of visitor expectations on key journeys to grow landmark tourism destinations for regional economic benefit | Opus Research, Opus International Consultants |
| 2015/16 | Use of technology to measure and improve urban freight movements | Abley Transportation Consultants |
2015/16 | Understanding the value of meeting the requirements of environmental legislation | Tonkin and Taylor Ltd |
| 2015/16 | Establishing the impacts on and management of vertebrate species population viability resulting from land transport activities, focusing on New Zealand's native bat species | Wildland Consultants Ltd |
| 2015/16 | Evidential basis for community response to land transport noise | AECOM New Zealand Ltd |
| 2014/15 | Specification of low-noise road surfaces and noise barriers | Opus International Consultants |
Sustainable land transport
To improve the sustainability of the land transport system.
Performance monitoring
| Year commissioned | Project title | Researcher |
|---|---|---|
| 2016/17 | Identifying freight performance indicators and contextual indicators of freight | Ernst and Young Transaction Advisory Services Ltd |
| 2016/17 | Developing an approach to measure predictable journeys for public transport: bus, rail and ferry | Opus International Consultants |
| 2016/17 | Ex-post evaluation of transport interventions using causal inference methods and techniques | Resource Economics Ltd |
| 2015/16 | Best practice approaches for the development of legislation | University of Waikato |