Research & trials

ViaStrada reviewed New Plymouth District Council’s current active transport cordon count methodology, plus their thoughts on potential modifications. We delivered a memo on our proposed methodology that:

ViaStrada was commissioned by legal representatives of three e-scooter sharing companies to prepare an affidavit for the court on the safety and regulation of e-scooters. This follows on from our NZ Transport Agency Research Report 621 Regulations and safety for electric bicycles and other low-powered vehicles.  

ViaStrada was commissioned by the NZTA to identify up to five intersections with the highest recorded crashes, investigate causal factors and propose concepts to address the cycle crashes. In addition, an assessment of cycling issues along four corridors was asked for; the expectation was that there would be overlap between the project components. A report was submitted on the worst intersections that examined the crash details, identified likely crash scenarios. It included observations of the high-risk locations and treatment options were provided.

ViaStrada was commissioned by Waimakariri District Council (WDC) to investigate and quantify the pedestrian activity at five locations on Williams Street in Kaiapoi town centre between Hilton Street and Charles Street. ViaStrada engaged Lowdown Data to undertake pedestrian and motor vehicle turning counts using video collection units. This technology allows the client to gather survey information at low cost. This survey technique also obtained queue lengths at the Hilton Street and Charles Street roundabouts to inform design options.

Since 1998, the Christchurch practice has been to apply red coloured surfacing in selected sections of cycle facilities to heighten the awareness of motorists and cyclists regarding the presence of these facilities, particularly at conflict points. However, apart from Waimakariri District, the rest of New Zealand uses green coloured surfacing for cycle facilities, as well as for bus lanes.

Lorraine and Jon have been out and about on Banks Peninsula recording the road markings, one way bridge priorities and other traffic control devices.

When Banks Peninsula District Council was amalgamated with Christchurch City Council, it was difficult to reconcile some of the traffic resolutions with the markings and traffic controls on the road, and other records were difficult to find.

Megan Fowler and Andrew Macbeth undertook and analysed counts of cycle traffic on the two existing sections of the Christchurch to Little River Rail Trail - between Prebbleton (on the south-western edge of Christchurch) and Lincoln and between Motukarara and Little River (on Banks Peninsula, half way to Akaroa).

This project consisted of two components:

• an internet-based survey of road controlling authorities (RCAs) and regional councils about their experience and interest in counting cycle traffic, either manually or automatically, and
• a literature review of traffic-counting technology able to detect and monitor cycle traffic on a continuous basis.

The survey of councils and Transit offices found that:

About half of the RCAs and regional councils that responded to the survey have counted cycle traffic in recent years:

This study built on previous work by ViaStrada with assistance at different stages by Beca and MWH. The premise is that a cycle route provides a certain level of service to potential users if it lies within a certain distance of them, whether they be residents at their homes, school or university students at their schools or people at work. Cycle routes should be provided first in areas of highest "demographic density" to achieve the "best bang for the buck".