Claire Pascoe is the Lead Advisor Urban Mobility at the New Zealand Transport Agency. In her current role, she provides technical expertise and leadership across policy, planning and performance, to ensure that transport investment results in high quality urban environments that provide people with transport choices. She was previously involved in developing and delivering the Urban Cycleways Programme and managing the national cycling culture change programme.

Cr Mike Davidson is a Christchurch City Councillor and Deputy Chair of the Infrastructure, Transport and Environment Committee. Mike also has roles in the Regional Transport Committee, Greater Christchurch Joint Public Transport Committee, Innovation & Sustainable Development Committee and Finance & Performance Committee. Formerly the Chair of the elected Shirley-Papanui Community Board, he was a central figure in the consultation of one of Christchurch’s first Major Cycleways, the Papanui Parallel. Mike’s local government roles as an elected City Councillor and strong commitment to a sustainable transport network is helping ensure that Christchurch moves in the right direction.

Claire is primarily a transport planner, currently specialising in design for walking and cycling facilities. Past roles have included strategic road corridor planning, policy development for walking and cycling, strategic public transport planning and being a stay-at-home parent. Auckland-obsessed, keen to make the city as great and as kind as possible for everyone now and in the future.

Ann-Marie is a Chartered Professional Engineer with 17 years’ experience providing transportation planning and traffic engineering advice to public and private sector clients. Ann-Marie has a wide skill base including developing transport strategies, preparing integrated transport assessments, carrying out reviews of District Plans and solving other transport planning-related issues. She has a special interest in multi-modal transport planning and sustainable modes including walking, cycling and public transport. Ann-Marie has recently been involved in the NZ Transport Agency Pedestrian Research project and is currently working on an Austroads project to embed good practice pedestrian guidance into their Australasian suite of guides.

Richard is a Senior Transportation Engineer with WSP-Opus, he has a masters degree and associated 18 years experience in geometric design and road safety. Since 2016 he has been working on the design and delivery of Christchurch’s Major Cycle Route Programme as part of Team Velos, a joint venture with Aurecon, where the main focus has been on developing infrastructure to encourage mode shift for commuters. He has recently been seconded part time to the Transport Agency and is also involved in NCTIR, the rebuilding of the Kaikoura highway.

Stuart is a Senior Civil Designer with Aurecon, he has been working in the area of roading design and design, and road safety for the past 25 years. Stuart was the lead designer for the Velos Cycleway team (partnership between Aurecon and WSP-Opus) to prepare the geometric designs for several of the Christchurch City Council’s Major Cycleway Routes. This involved the dealing with the many challenges associated with threading cycleway infrastructure along existing roads and reserve areas. Since Mid 2017 Stuart has been in the role of roading and digital design lead at NCTIR in the rebuild of the transport network along the Kaikoura coast following the Nov 2016 earthquake.

First elected off the National Party list in 2011 and having previously served as a Minister under both the Key and English-led Government, Paul is currently the National Party’s Opposition Spokesperson for Economic and Regional Development, Transport and Arts, Culture and Heritage. He was previously the Minister for Commerce, Regulatory Reform, Science and Innovation, and Tertiary, Skills and Employment. Paul is married with four children - based in Epsom - a black belt in taekwondo and is a concert-level pianist. Prior to entering politics he published a dozen books on a variety of topics from the history of taxation in New Zealand to biographies of Sir William Gallagher, Don Brash and Fletcher’s Construction, and was a one term Auckland City Councillor.

Time to pose questions to all presenters in this session.