| 33 Karen Phelps Making roads safer from day one Ashley Green: “Our focus is on collaboration, coordination and consultation so projects run more smoothly…” Corridor Solutions REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT In a roading industry facing regulatory change, funding pressures and rising expectations around safety, a young consultancy based in the Central North Island has grown quickly by adapting to change and filling critical gaps. Founded in 2023, Corridor Solutions began as a specialist road safety consultancy, providing audits and assisting with design work for councils and contractors. However, early shifts in government spending forced the business to pivot almost immediately. “When smaller projects were effectively switched off, we had to diversify very quickly,” says Ashley Green, co-founder and director of road safety and asset management. “That pushed us into traffic management planning, including approving traffic management plans under contract to Taupō District Council, and then into asset management.” That ability to respond has underpinned the business’s growth over the past two years. Starting with just two staff – the two co-founders Ashley and Tayla McKenzie – it expanded in 2025 with the appointment of an asset management technician. Further recruitment is planned in 2026, with another two roles expected to be created as workload continues to build. Ashley and Tayla founded Corridor Solutions after years working together on major transport projects. The business was created to bring road safety and traffic management together rather than treating them as separate disciplines. “Too often those areas were siloed,” explains Ashley. “Our focus is on collaboration, coordination and consultation so projects run more smoothly and roads are safer from day one.” Operating from bases in Taupō and Rotorua, it now works across the Central North Island, supporting councils, developers and contractors with traffic management plans, safe system audits and asset management consulting. A key driver of growth has been increasing demand for consistency and better data in roading networks. “NZTA created a data standard to bring consistency across the country,” explains Ashley. “We’ve assisted Taupō, Hastings and now Napier District Council with aligning their data, including mapping, so it can migrate cleanly into national systems.” The consultancy has also become closely involved in several high-profile local projects. In Taupō, it has provided road safety advice and audits for the Crown Road and Tauhara Rd roundabout projects, including early design input and safe system audits. The Crown Rd roundabout, completed in 2025, stemmed from a school travel plan recommendation originally made before the company was established. “While there were concerns about the compact size initially, the outcome has been really positive,” says Ashley. “The nearby school reported immediate improvements in traffic flow and pedestrian safety, which validates that approach.” Another area fuelling growth is the sector-wide shift in how traffic management is delivered. “In the background, the industry has been transitioning from a prescriptive-based way of doing things to a risk-based approach regarding traffic management,” says Ashley. “That creates a lot of uncertainty, but it also creates demand for good advice.” That expertise has led to a technical advisory role with the Rata Group, a collaboration of all 10 Waikato district councils. Through this work Corridor Solutions provides guidance on traffic management plans, prepares briefing documents, and advises councils on how change can be implemented consistently across regions. The company’s growing reputation has also been recognised nationally. Ashley presented at both the Tarmac 2025 conference and the Future Roads Conference in 2025, reflecting increasing recognition of its technical capability and practical approach. Building Better Futures, One Project at a Time Project Management Surveying Civil Design Land Development admin@matangaprojects.co.nz | 027 5570 006 | www.matangaprojects.co.nz
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