"Achieving the desired results requires the right people and the right data."
Chris is a Project Manager and Senior Transportation Analyst at Beca. He has nearly 10 years' experience in trade and transport analysis, and specialises in network performance using Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS).
Chris joined Beca from a role where he represented New Zealand during foreign trade negotiations. He was attracted to Beca because it offered opportunities to be involved in alleviating a problem Chris is passionate about - being 'stuck in traffic.' To find solutions, he works with a variety of technologies, including GPS, side-mounted radar, Bluetooth receivers and loop-based technologies. Improvements in these technologies are making it easier to identify where congestion is significant, where it is getting worse, and where it has improved as a result of investment in transportation initiatives.
"We are now playing catch-up after years of underinvestment in infrastructure," he says. "The biggest question now is how best to spend more than $1 billion a year in transport funding to have the best chance of improving people's lives and improving the economy. Beca has the experience and expertise to play a key role in answering that question."
A major emphasis for Chris involves using ITS technology to identify congestion trends in five New Zealand cities. He has also led research in pedestrian delays and is working with Auckland Transport to look at multi-modal network performance. He is currently providing advice to the New Zealand Transport Agency on how to improve congestion monitoring in New Zealand using a variety of potential technologies, such as Bluetooth tracking, Fleet GPS and number plate recognition. Recent improvements to technology provide a wealth of opportunity to improve the way we tackle congestion.