A partnership between the Ministry of Transport and the University of Auckland will lead to better planning for the transport sector says Andrew Jackson, the Ministry’s Deputy Chief Executive.
The University of Auckland’s Transportation Research Centre has been researching options for the scope and design of a possible New Zealand Transport Model.
“Transport modelling means that national and regional policy makers and planners can test possible outcomes from a range of different scenarios. The Ministry currently undertakes transport demand modelling across the separate transport modes: road, air, rail, sea, and active modes. Many local bodies and transport-related companies also undertake modelling to help with forecasting and planning,” Mr Jackson says.
“A national transport model would take into account the interactions between all the different transport modes, and help provide a more comprehensive overview of the system. For example, it’s important to understand the impact that changes in demand for goods arriving by sea have on our road and rail networks,” Mr Jackson says.
Looking at options for, and the value of, developing a national transport model is part of the Ministry’s extensive research programme. In 2015 the Ministry released forecast models for air passenger departures and revenue forecasting for the National Land Transport Fund. The Ministry also released a snapshot of findings from 25 years of data on household travel.
2016 will see the release of an updated transport research strategy and a domain plan that summarises what information the government holds about the transport system. Another key product will be the development of a New Zealand Transport Outlook summarising the state of the current transport system and projecting future demand under different scenarios.
“The University of Auckland’s work is an important step in providing a more informed view of the future transport sector and will support decisions in many areas, for example where and how to invest in transport infrastructure,” Mr Jackson says.