Media Release - www.ipenz.org.nz/media
Monday, 11 April 2005
Look overseas to solve NZ transport congestion
problems says engineer
A proposal to travel for over two months to study nine cities’ transportation solutions, and bring home suggestions for
New Zealand’s increasing congestion and transportation problems has won Institution of Professional Engineers (IPENZ)
member Steve Abley the 2005 Hume Fellowship worth $25,000 - one of the premier awards available to the engineering
profession in New Zealand.
Steve intends to leave his home in Christchurch to begin his ‘Sustainable Transport Tour‘ on April 25. He has identified
nine key cities for investigation, chosen for their innovative sustainable transport initiatives which could potentially
be applied in New Zealand.
“Transport is a changing landscape in New Zealand and sustainable transport, although a key objective of New Zealand’s
Land Transport Strategy is difficult for practitioners to envisage without practical, real and feasible examples,” said
Steve.
Most of the cities Steve will visit have huge populations surpassing New Zealand cities, or have extremely different
landscapes, such as Curitiba in Brazil with a population of over 1.6 million, and Copenhagen Denmark which due to its
flat terrain successfully runs a free City Bike programme for six months each year providing 2,000 bikes for public use.
“If these cities, with vastly more complex problems than ours can solve their problems, then why can’t we?” said Steve.
All nine cities have a common denominator. They have all put in place transportation solutions that are friendly,
sustainable and efficient.
“Cities in New Zealand are at the beginning of some real congestion and transportation problems so it is a timely
opportunity to collect first-hand knowledge of the world’s best practice of sustainable transport systems that could be
applied in New Zealand,” said Steve.
“New Zealand is a small country with limited resources, and we therefore have a requirement to look outwards to discover
areas of best practice. We should learn from the experience of other countries and cities, rather than making our own
mistakes which can be costly.
“There is substantial benefit in seeing the systems in action rather than reading about them in text books and journals,
as we can learn from the problems encountered in implementing and administering these systems which will provide New
Zealand with enormous benefits,” he said.
Steve hopes his findings will be valued by MPs, government department’s and key stakeholders as the Ministry of
Transport’s vision for 2010 says New Zealand will have ’an affordable, integrated, safe, responsive, and sustainable
transport system‘.
“The Policy is the ‘what’ but often at the grass routes the ‘how’ of implementation is very difficult, especially since
New Zealand’s transport vision is very high on ideal but the ‘how’ is generally untested by local authorities who
support the theory but currently only at a strategic level.
“I hope my work can provide local authorities with the tools to meet New Zealand’s transport vision,” he said.
When Steve returns home he plans to visit IPENZ branches and discuss his findings with other engineers that are
ultimately charged with designing New Zealand’s transport solutions.
This isn’t the first time New Zealand has benefited from Steve’s international knowledge. During his time in London he
worked with Living Streets, a charity promoting sustainable travel and the transformation of poor road environments.
Living Streets appointed Steve as their Honourable Technical Consultant in 2002, and in 2004 Steve co-authored and
published a manual entitled ‘Designing Living Streets’ which was launched at the House of Commons in the UK last
September.
ENDS
Notes to journalists
Steve Abley’s chosen cities include:
Curitiba, Brazil – One of the world’s best public transport systems in its Bus Rapid Transit network, done on the cheap
Bogotá, Colombia - With a population of 7 million the city recently introduced a Bus Rapid Transit system, one of the
busiest bus systems in the world and also constructed
Boulder, Colorado, USA - their Transportation Management Plan has been a key factor in the successful development of an
integrated transport system using alternative modes of transport.
Portland, Oregon, USA - The Transportation System Plan aims to make it more convenient to walk, bike, bus and drive.
Copenhagen, Denmark - Free City Bike programme.
London, UK - In 2003 the Mayor of London, Ken Livingston, implemented a congestion charge zone to reduce congestion by
discouraging private vehicle traffic in central London.
Houten, Netherlands - In 1974 the city council of Houten decided the city should
increase five fold and that the bicycle would play an important role in the urban master
plan.
Singapore - Singapore has had congesting charging systems in place since 1975.
Perth, Australia - Urban Rail Development and TravelSmart programme
Notes on Hume Fellowship
The Hume Fellowship was established in 1988 by Henrietta Hume and her late husband Harry Lancelot Hume, a fellow of
IPENZ who led a distinguished career in the Ministry of Works until his retirement in 1966. As former Harkness Fellows,
both Harry and Henrietta studied in USA, their hope for the Hume Fellowship was for international understanding to be
forwarded through the provision of international opportunities for education and travel to young men and women of
character and ability.
About IPENZ
The Institution of Professional Engineers New Zealand (IPENZ) is the professional body which represents professional
engineers from all disciplines in New Zealand. The Institution sets internationally bench-marked qualifying standards
for degree qualifications in engineering, and serves engineers by securing formal recognition for their professional
standing. IPENZ provides services for about 10,000 members.