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23 December 2010
Abley Transportation Consultants office will close at 5pm Thursday 23 December and reopen at 9am on Monday 10 January. If you need to speak to a member of staff over this period please contact Steve Abley via mobile 021 556 864.
Abley Transportation Consultants wishes all our clients, staff and family a merry Christmas and happy New Year. We look forward to catching up with you in 2011.
18 December 2010
For 2010 our Christmas Party started with a pleasant drive to Akaroa by coach where we basked in the sunshine and heat that makes Canterbury summers memorable. After a leisurely meal in the courtyard at Bully Hayes restaurant we enjoyed a respite from the windless 33 degree temperature for two hours as we took to the water on the Black Cat Nature Cruise. We were fortunate to see a good number of the endangered Hector's Dolphins, penguins and seals. Our team, their partners and children were returned to Christchurch just before the sun set. A thoroughly enjoyable day.
17 December 2010
Kurt Janssen was elected as a committee member in the New Zealand ESRI User Group at the recent GIS Conference in Wellington. The user group is host to largest collection of GIS professionals in New Zealand and regularly holds annual conference of 300+ participants as well as a number of smaller regional meetings throughout the year. Kurt accepted the position ensuring he has input into how New Zealand's GIS community continues to evolve in the fast paced technological fields of which GIS plays an integral role.
9 December 2010
The New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) has published best practice national guidance for the preparation of transport assessments. Steve Abley, Paul Durdin and Malcolm Douglas of Douglas Consulting Services are the research authors and the work was done with the guidance of industry peers including Peter McCombs of Traffic Design Group, Bob Batty of Planit RW Batty and Associates and Stuart Woods of MWH.
The research was undertaken to develop national guidelines to improve transportation assessment practices because there is a general acknowledgement the assessment of transportation effects in New Zealand is undertaken with variable quality. The guidance proposes four levels of assessment, simple, moderate, broad and extensive and includes the content at each level of assessment. The research can be found here.
3 December 2010
Ann-Marie was informed today that her competence assessment by the Institution of Professional Engineers New Zealand (IPENZ) was successful. IPENZ is the professional body which represents professional engineers from all disciplines in New Zealand. Chartered Professional Engineer (CPEng) is the most important quality mark attesting to the current competence of a professional engineer in New Zealand. Well done Ann-Marie!
2 December 2010
Steve Abley has had an article published in New Zealand Engineering News that comments on professionals and their role in the wake of the Canterbury Earthquake as well as the value professionals add to the wider community and NZ Inc. The article can be read here.
24 November 2010
Abley Transportation Consultants won the International Virtual Reality Essence Award in Japan last week for a 3D Virtual Reality model developed for Ilam Road.
The award recognises the quality of the 3D Virtual Reality model the company produced for the redevelopment of Ilam Road. "We are immensely proud to receive this award that recognises the innovation our company brings to solving transport problems" said Managing Director Steve Abley. The award was accepted by Mr Abley in Tokyo in front of 600 delegates from Asia, South America, Europe and the United States. The conference included presentations by Google, Mitsubishi, and world renowned academics including representatives from Harvard University.
Mr Abley said he was particularly grateful for the recognition the award provides the company and the recognition given to the wider Abley team including Courtney Groundwater, a Graduate Engineer with Abley Transportation Consultants, who is the principal developer of the model. It is incredibly important our graduates and wider team are recognised for the important contribution they provide to explaining how transport solutions are publicised. Virtual reality allows us to communicate complex ideas better with improved understanding by the public and decision makers.
The model the Abley team created included linkage to a road environment simulation model that allowed for the expected behaviour of cars, buses, pedestrians and cyclists. If you are interested in understanding how virtual reality can be used to assist your community consultation project please contact Steve Abley. To view the presentation click here.
18 November 2010
Stacy has been invited to present at the 90th Annual Meeting of the Transportation Research Board to be held in Washington DC from the 23rd to the 27th of January 2011. The programme covers all transportation modes and attracts policy makers, administrators, practitioners, researchers, and representatives of government, industry, and academia. The Meeting draws attendees from throughout the United States and from 65 countries. It is probably the single largest annual gathering of transportation practitioners and researchers in the world with over 10,000 attendees. Stacy will be presenting on ‘Quantifying Transport Energy Resilience: Active Mode Accessibility', which covers his work on measuring the transport energy footprint of urban forms and understanding opportunities for increasing the resilience of residents to fuel price rises.
16 November 2010
Steve Abley is in Japan this week presenting Abley's 3D visualisation model of Ilam Road, Christchurch at an International Virtual Reality Modelling competition. The model is one of 11 international finalists created using state of the art 3D modelling software. The software virtualises the surrounding environment along with motor vehicles, buses loading and alighting, cyclists and pedestrian behaviour. The model was built for Christchurch City Council and depicts the existing environment along Ilam Road. A future model has also been developed to show the anticipated traffic and aesthetic environment after the redevelopment of Ilam Road.
15 November 2010
An article on Accessibility Modelling, including what it is and how it can be used to better inform decision makers on land use and transportation integration has been published in the latest IPENZ e.NZ magazine. A discussion regarding the NZTA methodology developed by Abley including a recent update in the GIS modelling to include parking as a variable affecting private motor vehicle accessibility is presented in this article. To download the e.NZ article click here.
9 November 2010
Kurt presented today at New Zealand’s largest gathering of GIS professionals in Wellington. Kurt’s topic was on ‘Quantifying the Quality of Accessibility’ and was presented using a 3D GIS Presentation Viewer. Accessibility modelling is a new transportation planning tool that enables better understanding of the integration of land use with transport planning and the benefits that better integration provides. Kurt presented the results from the Heretaunga Plains Accessibility Study, including GIS techniques used by Abley in that study which has recently been completed for the NZTA.
15 October 2010
Abley Transportation Consultants is proud to announce that Jared White will be joining us in March 2011. Jared is a well known Christchurch engineer who is returning from the UK having been employed by Colin Buchanan for the last 3 years. Jared's expertise is in the area of traffic modelling including tools such as PICADY, ARCADY, LINSIG, TRANSYT and strategic transportation models including TRACKS. Jared is a valuable addition to the Abley team.
4 October 2010
The 11th Annual NZTA and NZIHT Conference ‘Improve Transport - Improve the Economy - design, construct, maintain' is being held in Christchurch on 31st and 1 November 2010. This annual conference is viewed as an opportunity to present papers on proposed initiatives, to evaluate existing systems and to give members serving the transportation industry a chance to raise important issues.
The New Zealand government announced the planning and delivery of seven Roads of National Significance (RoNS) in the May 2009 Government Policy Statement on Transport. This focus has ushered in a new regime for New Zealand transport with the provision of lead infrastructure aimed at lowering the cost of transport and thus encouraging economic growth and productivity to make New Zealand more competitive on the international stage. Steve Abley is presenting on the topics of Transport Efficiency through Transport Choice.
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20 September 2010
This partnership allows Abley Transportation Consultants to offer our clients a large range of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) services meeting all of their spatial needs. A business partnership with ESRI (the largest GIS software firm in the world) ensures Abley has a close relationship with Eagle Technology, the New Zealand distributor of ESRI software ensuring we are amongst the first to know about new ESRI software, technology and services.
9 September 2010
Abley Transportation Consultants and the Advanced Energy and Material Systems Lab (AEMS Lab) at University of Canterbury have established a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for cooperative research.
The MOU will allow research being undertaken at the University of Canterbury to more closely align with stakeholders’ interests and needs. It will also allow further research and development of practitioner tools used in transportation planning to be undertaken.
6 September 2010
On Saturday 4 September an earthquake hit Christchurch that measured 7.1 on the Richter Scale. There was no loss of life but Christchurch has sustained structural damage to buildings, water supply and water disposal. It will take some significant time for the city to return to normal.
Our thoughts are with those that have lost their homes, business and places of employment.
The Abley Transportation Consultants emergency procedures worked well and our IT services were unaffected. Our office is fully operational.
3 September 2010
Our Steve Abley was invited by the New Zealand Local Government to present on the latest thinking on integrating land use and transport. This year, the Local Government Transport Forum is focusing on Local Government’s role in influencing New Zealand’s transport strategy and providing plans for the future.
Steve’s presentation will look at:
Creating better integration between transport modes and using infrastructure more effectively.
Using transport projects to determine the land use outcomes we want to achieve.
Considering future growth - will there continue to be a proliferation in low density housing and urban sprawl due to our past transportation decisions?
The conference takes place 19-20 October 2010 at the Rendezvous Hotel, Auckland.
30 August 2010
The team at Abley Transportation Consultants are very proud to announce the birth of Olivia to Michelle and Steve. Olivia arrived at exactly 4pm on Sunday weighing 7 pounds and 2 ounces. Mum and baby are doing well. Dad is on intermittent paternity leave with a tentative return date next Monday, 6 September.
16 August 2010
Abley Transportation Consultants staff members recorded their first win in the winter indoor netball league today. The team plays once a week and it is a great way to have fun while staying fit. The competition will run until mid October.
6 August 2010
Andy was informed today that his competence assessment by the Institution of Professional Engineers New Zealand was successful. The Institution of Professional Engineers New Zealand is the professional body which represents professional engineers from all disciplines in New Zealand. Chartered Professional Engineer (CPEng) is the most important quality mark attesting to the current competence of a professional engineer in New Zealand. Well done Andy!
5 August 2010
This event included drinks and dinner at the Canterbury Club, Christchurch. The Canterbury Club was established in 1872 by professionals and businessmen and was merged with the Christchurch Club in 2004. The evening was a fantastic way for the team to celebrate their achievements for the year so far.
31 July 2010
As part of the Association of Consulting Engineers New Zealand (ACENZ) Conference 2010 our Steve Abley was invited onto a national panel of 27 judges involved in reviewing the quality of submissions for the Annual Awards of Excellence 2010. The INNOVATE NZ! Awards Gala Dinner was held on Saturday 31st July at the TSB Showplace, New Plymouth. The awards celebrate innovation in the consulting engineering profession and the judging criteria includes elements such as depth of technical and professional expertise, elegance of the solution, environmental considerations and management skills. These are prestigious awards and Steve is proud to have been recommended as a judge.
21 July 2010
Steve presented today at the AITPM conference on What’s New and specifically accessibility modelling. Accessibility modelling is a new transportation planning tool that is proving useful to better understand the integration of land use and transport and the benefits that better integration provides. Steve’s paper can be downloaded here.
15 July 2010
Abley Transportation Consultants submission titled “Public Transport Accessibility Levels - Christchurch, New Zealand” has been published in the 2010 ESRI Map Book, Volume 25.
Published annually since 1984, the ESRI Map Book is the only publication dedicated to acknowledging the important and innovative accomplishments of GIS users around the world. Each volume of the ESRI Map Book showcases a small portion of the work presented at the Map Gallery exhibition at the annual ESRI International User Conference.
This book was released today at the 2010 ESRI International User Conference in San Diego, California. The publication can be read here.
9 July 2010
Catherine Smith joined the team at Abley’s offices from where she will operate in her role as Christchurch’s Futureintech Facilitator. Catherine’s role with Futureintech is to increase awareness of exciting opportunities for interesting careers in technology, engineering and science. By engaging industry support, working with teachers and the curriculum, Catherine and her Futureintech Ambassadors are able to connect students with real-life examples of work and job specific roles, as they contemplate career options. Abley Transportation Consultants are delighted to have this opportunity to support the promotion of the science, technology and engineering disciplines to future generations.
Catherine can be contacted on:
p: 03 377 4703 ext 717 m: 021 479 890 e: Christchurch@futureintech.org.nz
8 July 2010
A resource consent application for expansion of the Harvey Norman Centre in Christchurch was approved today. The application for expansion included an assessment of the transport effects of the proposed development that was undertaken by Abley Transportation Consultants. Abley found the proposed increased size of retailing at the centre would only have minor transportation effects and the proposed alteration to car parking will continue to meet peak car parking demand and the car park will comply with the rules as set out in the Christchurch City Plan.
7 July 2010
Abley Transportation Consultants offered the New Zealand Transport Agency to reformat and condense at no cost the comprehensive three part Community Street Review guide to a new succinct, punchy user friendly version to encourage more Community Street Reviews being undertaken.
The new guide will be available for download in PDF version very shortly from the NZTA website under find out more. If you want to learn more about Community Street Reviews please see www.levelofservice.com.
25 June 2010
Paul Durdin has been announced as one of three finalists for the 2010 Telecom / ACENZ Future Leader Award. The winner will be announced at the ACENZ Awards Dinner on Saturday 31st July at The Theatre Royal, TSB Showplace in New Plymouth.
16 June 2010
The third and final Predicting Walkability steering group meeting took place at Abley Transportation Consultants office in Christchurch today.
The research project is being undertaken for the New Zealand Transport Agency. The project will provide practitioners with a tool to predict the quality of walking environments using engineering measurements. The research will derive prediction equations for path lengths and road crossings, where a number of engineering variables can be input, and a level of service for the link or path be derived. Practitioners will be able to use the tool and the equations to quantify the quality of the walking environment, so that they can identify potential improvements and measure the significance of implementing them.
3 June 2010
Steve and Ann-Marie met with Dunedin City Council staff today to discuss the Dunedin Cycling Review, which is the first stage in updating the Dunedin Cycling Strategy prepared in 2004. Abley have been commissioned to undertake a stocktake review of existing cycle facilities, review issues and barriers to cycling and consult with key stakeholders. Steve and Ann-Marie also spent time on-site becoming familiar with existing cycle facilities and looking into potential new connections in both Dunedin and Mosgiel.
3 June 2010
Peter has accepted a position on the IPENZ Canterbury Branch committee. The Committee members organise a programme of monthly meetings which include: presentations by local and visiting speakers; site visits; the annual Pickering Lecture; and the President’s Visit. These events provide opportunities for Members to meet socially and to network. The Canterbury Branch has over 1800 Members.
31 May 2010
Ann-Marie returned today after completing the 550km 'short course' XPD adventure race held in Cairns, Australia. Ann-Marie and her three team mates spent 6 and a half days trekking, mountain biking, kayaking and rafting from tropical Dunk Island, through misty rainforests and the outback arriving in Cairns exhausted but elated. She suffered a spider bite and plenty of leech bites but reckons it was all worth it!
7 May 2010
The Christchurch City Council and Environment Canterbury held a joint workshop on Friday 7 May to inform a Health Impact Assessment which will provide input to the development of the Christchurch Transport Plan (2011 – 2041) and Canterbury Regional Land Transport Strategy (2011 – 2041).
Attended mainly by health and community professionals, Paul was the only consultant transport engineer to give up his time to attend. Paul considered the workshop provided a very useful insight into the health impacts of transport planning decisions on the community.
30 April 2010
Our Steve Abley was invited by the NZ Society for Sustainability Engineering and Science to present on his ideas regarding transport and perhaps more importantly his vision for the Future of Transport. The New Zealand Society for Sustainability Engineering and Science is a Learned Society established to foster the discipline of sustainability engineering and science as the study of complex systems. Steve’s co presenters included Dr Simon Kingham, Associate Professor from the Department of Geography at the University of Canterbury and Robert Woods, Programme Manager Transport at Canterbury Regional Council. The session was chaired by Dr John Peet.
Steve presented on the important issue of land use integration issues including access to public transport services, and the improvement of services and buses including the quality of buses. He went on and described the utopian model of accessibility and rounded this into a delivery mechanism via the concept of a new governance structure for transport and the creation of a 'Greater Christchurch Land Transport (GCLT)' agency. If you want to learn more about this presentation please contact Steve.
22 April 2010
Courtney graduated from the University Of Canterbury today that was attended by friends and family. Completing the technical requirement for an engineering degree is a significant achievement and a major milestone on the way to becoming a Professional Engineer. All of us at Abley Transportation Consultants congratulate Courtney on a job well done.
21 April 2010
The team at Abley Transportation Consultants are very proud to announce the birth of Harry to Bronwyn and Paul. Harry arrived at 3:43am in the early hours of the morning weighing 4.1kg or a tick over 9lb. Mum and baby are doing well. Dad is currently on paternity leave with a tentative return date next Monday, 3 May.
21 April 2010
Steve presented today at the Christchurch Convention Centre on two topics, one ‘The Auckland Growth Concept: Managing Commercial Appeals under Different Statutes for an Amorphous Local Government Client’ and two, ‘Accessibility Score: Mapping Accessibility in Gisborne to Core Services’. Steve’s presentations and papers are available on request, please contact Steve.
20 April 2010
The purpose of this workshop is to develop a set of principles to guide planning of transport to, from and within the University campus. These guiding principles will be used in producing the University's transport and master plans that will shape the University’s development over the next 20 years. Abley Transportation Consultants are helping the University to develop a transport plan and travel demand strategy and are working in close liaison with the architects, urban designers and other engineering consultants to create a campus that is world renowned.
16 April 2010
Futureintech is a Government-funded initiative of the Institution of Professional Engineers New Zealand (IPENZ), the professional body for the engineering profession. Abley Transportation Consultants encourages all graduates to promote engineering, science and technology and is proud to announce that Peter Rose and Courtney Groundwater are training to become Futureintech ambassadors. Futureintech ambassadors visit school students and explain how engineering is applied in real life. Well done Courtney and Peter. http://www.futureintech.org.nz
15 April 2010
Today is our anniversary having been at 99 Victoria Street for one year. During the year we have undertaken a number of successful commissions for clients and some of the highlights associated with the building include: hosting the IPENZ Competence Assessment Board; our office launch attended by various dignitaries and opened by the 2010 IPENZ President Anthony Wilson; and various functions attended by our peers and clients. We look forward to many years ahead at 99 Victoria Street. If you haven't been to our offices yet, please don't hesitate to drop in and see us.
12 April 2010
Our Steve Abley has had two papers accepted at the biannual NZ walking conference titled ‘The dollars and sense of walking’. Steve will be presenting on two topics, one ‘Predicting Walkability’ and the other ‘Accessibility – what is it and how does it assist economic decision making’. The conference is being held in Wellington at James Cook Hotel Grand Chancellor from 2-3 August 2010. This is the fourth national walking conference and Steve has presented at every conference.
9 April 2010
Paul and Cynthia undertook a safety audit of the proposed Christchurch tram extension today. Items the safety auditors considered included the tram interaction with pedestrians, tram users and other road users. The results of the tram audit will be presented to Christchurch City Council staff and any changes recommended for implementation.
7 April 2010
Abley Transportation Consultants was appointed to build a walking, cycling, public transport and private vehicle network accessibility model for Hastings and Napier today by the New Zealand Transport Agency. The access modelling is expected to complement the HPTS Transport Model’s outputs, as the addition of access maps will significantly add to the understanding of the outputs and assumptions in the transport model. Also, the access model indicators will be used to identify the changes in access for households to key destinations and services arising from current growth and transport solutions, so the options that deliver the greatest combined economic, social and environmental efficiencies can be determined.
6 April 2010
Our Finance and Administration Assistant Kathryn Brown started work today. Kathryn has an extensive background of preparing management and financial statements and will be working closely with Steve and the wider team making sure Abley Transportation Consultants is efficient in its use of internal resources for the benefit of our clients.
2 April 2010
Our Andy Milne was extensively quoted today in the Kaiapoi Advocate, a local newspaper published for the Kaiapoi township in Waimakariri. Andy was quoted after presenting to the Kaiapoi Town Centre Steering Group regarding town centre improvement options. Andy explained how the township may grow in the future without conflicting with the significant traffic on Williams Street and the numerous problems that that creates.
22 March 2010
Steve has been invited to speak at the AITPM conference on What’s New and specifically accessibility modelling. Accessibility Score modelling is a new transportation planning tool that is proving useful to better understand the integration of land use and transport and the benefits that better integration provides.
20 March 2010
Andy Milne attended the Fellows and Achievers Dinner this evening at the request of IPENZ National Office. Andy was in attendance to receive the Abley Transportation Consultants certificate for Professional Development Partner status.
19 March 2010
It was announced at the Auckland AGM today that Steve has been re-elected to the Board of IPENZ. Steve said after the announcement “Thank you for the support that you have given me over the last four years. I am very humble to have been re-elected again for my final two-year term.”
17 March 2010
Peter won the Best Technical Note (Conference Presentation) at the 2010 IPENZ Transportation Group Conference today. The judges praised the highly topical relevance of the approach and the application to the local community. The award was presented by the IPENZ Transportation Group Chairman, Bruce Conaghan. This is a highly regarded award and continues the success of the company winning a highly commended Technical Note at the last conference held in 2008 in New Plymouth. Well done Peter.
15 March 2010
The IPENZ Transportation Conference is ‘the’ event for transportation professionals and those interested in the sharing and development of better ideas and outcomes for transport. This year's conference was titled ‘Connectionz’ and was themed around the concept of people, places and products.
Abley Transportation Consultants has chosen to sponsor this years' conference because of the very close alignment of the conference theme with the company's core values and especially relationships and innovation. This year an internet café will be available to delegates and Abley Transportation Consultants are making this available to delegates free of change because of a key outcome which is the sharing of knowledge.
12 March 2010
Abley Transportation Consultants have maintained our successful track record of 100% participation in the Bike Wise Challenge and placed second nationally in the 7 to 24 employee group and first in Canterbury for Bike Wise Challenge 2010. Well done to all those people and organisations that participated in promoting the use of sustainable transport.
10 March 2010
Understanding pedestrian activity, the movements and arrangements for how people work in highly congested areas enables the identification of new solutions such as shared surfaces, pedestrian only areas and more walking friendly environments. Courtney undertook a survey today of a shopping precinct and recorded the location and quantum of crossing movements. This information will be used to develop a more friendly shopping environment to support increased economic activity. If you are interested in understanding how these techniques can be applied to your high street or mall please contact Steve.
8 March 2010
Abley Transportation Consultants is very pound to be an Institution of Professional Engineers New Zealand (IPENZ) Professional Development Partner (PDP). IPENZ's Professional Development Manager Paul Gardiner travelled to Christchurch today and presented Steve with the company's PDP certification. Steve was pleased to accept the certification that confirms the company's commitment to ongoing professional development and the training of the next generation of professionals.
5 March 2010
Courtney arranged for an extensive parking occupancy and parking duration survey to be undertaken in Rangiora yesterday. The purpose of the survey was to update and recognise trends from two earlier surveys and determine the need for long and short term parking.
4 March 2010
The Australian Centre for Value Management's Dr Roy Barton spent the day with Ann-Marie and Steve today being introduced to some of the key players in Christchurch's transportation solutions. Dr Barton has been invited by the Christchurch City Council to facilitate a workshop being held at the University of Canterbury regarding Travel Demand Management. Abley Transportation Consultants are providing technical appraisal of the TDM options and facilitating the workshop design.
3 March 2010
Andy Milne provided expert advice today to the Dunedin City Council councillors hearing an application by Progressive Enterprises for a new supermarket in Andersons Bay Road.
The Otago Daily Times said on the 2 March that "Supermarket operator Progressive Enterprises' plans to build a Countdown outlet in South Dunedin have run into opposition from supporters of the Dunedin Gasworks Museum which is located next door. The proposal will come before a resource consent hearings committee of city councillors Colin Weatherall, Richard Walls and Kate Wilson tomorrow.
There had been 20 submissions - 19 opposing the plan and just one in support - with the gasworks featuring in eight as a major concern. The other issue listed in many submissions is the effect of the supermarket on traffic on the busy Andersons Bay Rd." The full article can be found here.
2 March 2010
The Heretaunga Plains Transportation Study (HPTS) is an input to the Heretaunga Plains Urban Development Strategy (HPUDS). The HPTS is a comprehensive study involving the creation of a new transportation model and involving the linkage to access mapping. Abley Transportation Consultants met with the successful HPTS consultant to liaise and make sure the best quality information was available for both elements of the study. More information on HPUDS can be found here.
1 March 2010
Kurt started work today as a Senior GIS Consultant and has a busy workload ahead of him. Kurt has returned to New Zealand from working overseas and has an impressive resume having last worked for ESRI Redlands in California. Kurt has a first class Bachelor of Science Honours degree from the University of Canterbury. Kurt can be contacted kurt@abley.com.
23 February 2010
In the February issue of the Living Streets Aoteroa’s Footprints newsletter Abley Transportation Consultants were quoted in two articles.
The first article quotes some of the recent accessibility planning work undertaken by Abley Transportation Consultants calculating the transportation impacts of the removal of a post shop / banking facility.
The second article quotes the Walkability research being undertaken by Abley Transportation Consultants and Beca Infrastructure Ltd that aims to enable practitioners to quantify the quality of their walking environment on a large scale.
22 February 2010
Paul presented to the Rangiora Town Centre Strategy Project steering group today. The steering group comprises of representation from the community, the Rangiora Ward Advisory Board and the Waimakariri District Council. At the Steering Group meeting Paul presented some of the main transportation issues and possible solution options and ideas to meet the transportation needs and demands of Rangiora Town Centre in the future. Paul received positive feedback from the group for the work undertaken so far. A link to the RTC 2020 project website is provided here.
19 February 2010
Paul presented to the Belfast Area Plan Hearing Panel yesterday on behalf of the Christchurch City Council. Paul was invited to attend the hearing and answer questions raised by submitters on transportation issues. Paul was the lead author of the Abley Transportation Consultants report that considers growth in Belfast to 2041.
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18 February 2010
As part of developing the Timaru Active Transport Strategy two open days were held in Timaru, one in Caroline Bay and the other in Geraldine. The open days allowed members of the public to view proposals for developing the strategy and provide input into the strategy's outcomes. The open days were well attended and advertising for the open days was provided on local radio and public notices in local papers. The results of the consultation will be summarised and reported back to the steering group.
9 February 2010
The Ministry of Education commissioned Abley Transportation Consultants to consider if the current School Transport Assistance (STA) criteria were still relevant and what would be the effect of changing the criteria. The current STA eligibility criteria can be traced back to 1877. Today Steve Abley met with senior Ministry of Education staff to present the results of the Abley Transportation Consultants assessment.
Ministry staff will consider the Abley report, conclusions and recommendations and along with other concurrent work they expect to report to the Minister by mid 2010.
8 February 2010
Ann-Marie Mulligan started as a Senior Transportation Engineer today. Ann-Marie has returned to NZ with 7 years working experience having worked in the UK and Australia. Her experience includes the Sydney Metro, bus interchanges, development applications and public consultation and much more. Ann-Marie is a Member of Engineers Australia (MIEAust) and a Member of the Institution of Highways and Transportation (MIHT); she has a Bachelor of Engineering Degree with First Class Honours from the University of Canterbury. Her appointment makes a valuable addition to the Abley team.
Courtney Groundwater started as a Graduate Transportation Engineer today. Courtney has a Bachelor of Engineering Degree with First Class Honours from the University of Canterbury. Courtney and Abley Transportation Consultants first met in June 2009 and Courtney was offered a role shortly after. You can read more about Courtney from the 24 July 2009 news item. If you are an undergraduate looking for summer 2010 or full time employment in 2011 please contact Steve.
2 February 2010
Peter completed the geocoding of over 12,000 number plates today. The number plates of vehicles in a number of shopping car parks were recorded throughout New Zealand and the number plates provided to Peter in a text file. Peter then obtained the address of the registered owners of the vehicles and plotted the addresses on a map. It is then possible to model vehicle travel times from origins to destinations and from this information the economic catchments of each site can be determined. This information can then be linked with demographic information and a profile of each shopping catchment can be projected. This enables the performance of proposed store locations to be forecast. If you are interested in this type of analysis being undertaken for your Council or proposed commercial activity please contact Steve .
1 February 2010
Steve announced today he is running for a third term on the IPENZ Governing Board.
"I have proudly served four years on the Board and contributed to increasing membership by 1,600 paying members in this time. My vision is to continue to grow membership and leverage our voice at a national and local level."
"I have valuable leadership experience in commercial and non commercial roles and as Chairman of the IPENZ Canterbury Branch. I currently lead a number of professional engineers within my firm, Abley Transportation Consultants, and I have been a challenging and constructive member of the national board."
"I want to continue and extend my track record over the next two years including further promoting Members’ engineering achievements and the value of our professional organisation to government, the public and other professions."
Steve says "I would be thrilled to represent the membership again."
Electronic voting for the board elections will commence from 9 February 2010 and will close off on 1 March 2010. Hard copy forms will be distributed with the February issue of e.NZ magazine and Engineering Dimension.
29 January 2010
Tonight the Abley Team had an evening out playing lawn bowls at the Christchurch Bowling Club. A great time was had by all although our bowling performance could have been better - we agreed we will remain with transportation planning. Contact Steve if you would to learn more about what it's like to work at Abley Transportation Consultants.
25 January 2010
Abley Transportation Consultants recent report examining the linkage between centres and corridors titled 'Commercial Activities in Auckland: Why A Centres Plus Approach Is Best – A Transportation Perspective' has been quoted by the Victoria Transport Policy Institute. The document is available on the TDM Encyclopaedia. A link to the VTPI page is provided here.
25 January 2010
Abley Transportation Consultants is seeking a Financial and Administration Assistant to provide office support. This is an important new role within our organisation with the duties currently being undertaken by external personnel and our professional staff. We are now seeking this work to be undertaken in house. This provides the successful applicant with the ability to fully develop the role and the outcomes that come with shaping a small office; including improving financial procedures and administration systems.
To lean more about this role click here.
20 January 2010
Kurt is currently employed by ESRI Redlands, California and is involved in the development of the new ESRI Release version 10. He has previously worked in New Zealand and specifically the Ministry of Health and Ministry for the Environment. Kurt has a first class Bachelor of Science Honours degree from the University of Canterbury and is joining us on 1 March 2010.
19 January 2010
Peter and Michelle helped undertake a full day of Community Street Reviews today in Wellington as part of a research project being undertaken for the New Zealand Transport Agency. Community Street Reviews include not only a qualitative consumer audit but also a quantitative rating. This benefits the community and provides practitioners with an asset management tool to prioritise walking schemes. Community Street Reviews also provide guidance on what improvements, and to what extent, improvements might enhance an environment. If you want to learn more about Community Street Reviews please see www.levelofservice.com. If you would like a Community Street Review undertaken in your city or town please contact Steve.
12 January 2010
Steve Abley has been invited to present at the New Zealand Planning Institute and Planning Institute of Australia International Planning Conference being held at the Christchurch Convention Centre, New Zealand from 20 to 23 April 2010. Steve will be presenting on "Sustainable Infrastructure - What is Accessibility Planning – A District Wide Case Study for Gisborne", and co presenting on "Governance - The Auckland Growth Concept – Managing Commercial Appeals under Different Statutes for an Amorphous Local Government Client".
11 January 2010
Peter Rose commenced employment with Abley Transportation Consultants today as a Graduate Transportation Engineer. Peter is a graduate of the University of Canterbury and has been working for Abley Transportation Consultants on a part time basis for over a year.
4 January 2010
Abley Transportation Consultants submission titled “Public Transport Accessiblity Levels - Christchurch, New Zealand” has been selected for publication in the 2010 ESRI Map Book, Volume 25.
Published annually since 1984, the ESRI Map Book is the only publication dedicated to acknowledging the important and innovative accomplishments of GIS users around the world. Each volume of the ESRI Map Book showcases a small portion of the work presented at the Map Gallery exhibition at the annual ESRI International User Conference.
This book will be released in July at the 2010 ESRI International User Conference in San Diego, California.
