Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency
The National Land Transport Fund (NLTF) cost allocation model underpins how transport funding is distributed for road maintenance and improvements. While traffic counts provide a partial view, Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency wanted to test whether GPS data could give a more accurate, up-to-date picture of how different vehicle classes — particularly heavy freight — use the network.
Approach
- Trip Normalisation – Aligned all GPS trips in the selected regions to OpenStreetMap segments to ensure consistent, segment-level analysis.
- Heavy Vehicle Impact Analysis – Calculated the frequency, intensity, and distribution of heavy vehicle trips, highlighting the specific road links experiencing the highest load.
- Integration with NLTF Modelling – Provided the processed datasets and metrics to Waka Kotahi's modelling team for direct incorporation into the cost allocation framework.
Impact
- Freight Movement Insights – Delivered a detailed, spatially accurate view of freight activity within the study regions.
- Better Funding Alignment – Supported a fairer distribution of NLTF funds by linking maintenance budgets to actual usage and heavy vehicle impact.
- Regional Maintenance Transparency – Gave clear evidence for how regional allocations relate to network wear, strengthening the case for targeted investment.
By demonstrating the precision and policy value of GPS-based road usage analysis, this project showed how advanced data sources can improve the fairness, efficiency, and sustainability of New Zealand's transport funding system.