Research and publications

This presentation gives an update on earlier research regarding Cyclists at Wide Intersections. A single detector loop is now used to overcome operational problems with the previous treatment.

The remit reports on a proposed technical training course that did not attract Transfund funding. The author will talk about the methodology that was developed, and will provide an overview of industry needs and support.

In September 2001, Andrew Macbeth (then based at MWH) presented a paper to the New Zealand Cycling Conference, based on a project commissioned by Transit New Zealand’s Dunedin office. The paper was presented jointly with Simon Underwood of Transit NZ.

The project was to evaluate the safety of two cycle lanes Transit NZ had installed in March 2001,on Cumberland Street and Great King Street, part of State Highway 1 through central Dunedin. The lanes are used by University of Otago students and commuters to Dunedin's central city area, amongst others. These were the first cycle lanes installed on State Highways in Dunedin.

This article was published in TranSafe Issue 5 (Apr 2001). It concludes with the following paragraph:

Some roundabout projects which achieve good travel time or efficiency ratings, and can reduce the overall crash rate of an intersection, may make the road environment considerably less safe for some road users, especially cyclists. So while a roundabout may be the most efficient and (for motorists) safest intersection control in a given situation, planners should review whether it is really the best solution to the overall problem. If it is, then special facilities should be investigated for those who are disadvantaged, such as a pedestrian underpass or separate cycleway that avoids the roundabout completely.

In the interest of making this fascinating document on 40 Years of Change, Traffic and Planning 1959–1999 covering the Christchurch City Centre more accessible to a wider audience of peers, citizens, researchers and historians, the team at ViaStrada has scanned in its copy and placed it on this website.

The following is the start of the preface of the report:

This publication records the planning and changes in the Christchurch City Centre, in particular to the transport system, over the 40 years 1959 to 1999. It is both a description and an assessment of the surveys, planning and development of the city centre, i.e. the area within the four avenues. It attempts, in a few pages and with photographs and charts, to encapsulate 40 years of the results of all the Council's decisions and actions, together with those of the many developers, businesses and institutions that occupy the city centre.

A remit was presented at the 2000 Traffic Management Workshop, recommending a number of features to be employed for achieving cycle-friendly intersections.

New Zealand transport practitioners seem to underestimate the potential of the transport modes walking, cycling and public transport and focus mainly on the private motor vehicle. This paper examines possible improvements for these ‘forgotten transport modes' based on European concepts that are applicable for New Zealand conditions. The presentation was a repeat of what had previously been presented at the 1999 ALGENZ conference in Wanganui.

Christchurch City Council has been following a programme of strategic implementation of cycle lanes. A point has been reached where it is essential to review the effectiveness of the various treatments in place. This paper looks at the effect that cycle lanes have on safety.

It was good to see so many professionals presenting remits about cycling issues. This is a very positive development, as there is still a definite need for all of us to learn more about the specific needs of cyclists as road users. We have only just started to learn about it!

New Zealand transport practitioners seem to underestimate the potential of the transport modes walking, cycling and public transport and focus mainly on the private motor vehicle. This paper examines possible improvements for these ‘forgotten transport modes' based on European concepts that are applicable for New Zealand conditions.