Vale Peter McCombs
I first met Peter in the 1980s or 1990s. We would regularly meet at ITE functions. In the mid-90s I was appointed as the road safety auditor for the ALPURT Motorway project, then other Motorway safety audit teams, spending a lot of time in Auckland. During that period, we would catch up quite often.
In 2003, after the ITE Annual Meeting in Seattle, Peter and Beverley and Trish and I visited a friend together for a couple of days which further cemented our friendships. Peter gave me sage advice relating to opening up our company to staff ownership.
In 2004, Peter was appointed to be the Transit NZ Project Director for the Implementation of its Travel Demand Management (ramp metering) project on Auckland’s Regional Motorway Network, which was one of New Zealand’s most significant and complex transportation projects in the last 30 years. I was the geometric advisor and operations advisor to that project, and we worked very closely together. Peter often reminded NZTA, a little tongue in cheek, that he delivered the project early and under budget.
In 2004 when I started working with Peter on the Auckland ramp metering project, I was not expecting to gain a new mentor – but arguably Peter’s greatest contribution to members of ITE and the profession is his helping, training, guiding, assisting the development, and extracting the best out of other professionals.
We can all be thankful that Peter did not become the fourth McCombs to hold the seat of Lyttleton in the NZ Parliament! Peter’s grandfather, then grandmother, then father held the seat continuously for about 40 years! But then again, we did get the consummate politician, technician, trainer, leader – but more importantly, a DOER!
Peter was Chairman of Traffic Design Group Ltd. – New Zealand’s first and largest specialist traffic and transport planning consultancy.
As a DOER, he was also Founding Chairman of the Transportation Technical Group within the New Zealand Institution of Professional Engineers – IPENZ.
He was very supportive of the change of the Australian Section of ITE to ITEANZ and was a New Zealand representative on the Australian and New Zealand Section at its inception. Prior to that time, it seemed that whenever an ITE function was held in NZ, the names TDG and/or Peter McCombs came up as the organiser and/or sponsor of the event.
Peter was awarded the ‘Contribution to ITE ANZ’ in 2012.
Peter was appointed the International District (AKA District 8) Director on the International Board of direction of ITE for the period 2008-2010. Due to his outstanding contribution to that Board, he was asked to continue in that role in 2011 – a great honour and recognition. He was then asked to serve the rest of a 3 year term.
Tom Brahms, CEO of ITE at the time, commented in 2014 – “On the ITE Board Peter has provided guidance as to rational strategic planning that keeps focus on a few strategic goals without having a wishlist that includes everyone’s dream. He helped to focus the Board’s attention on meaningful improvements in the conference and annual meetings without trying to micromanage the events. He has been a mature, international voice on the Board.”
His involvement is not just with ITE and IPENZ. Peter sits on a number of public and private agencies and statutory bodies and has a particular involvement with strategic planning and professional development. He was made a Paul Harris Fellow for his contributions to the work of Rotary International in 2004.
Don McKenzie, who succeeded Peter on the IBD as Global District Director (also for 6 years) wrote in his tribute “Peter was the mentor of many transport professionals both associated with TDG and beyond. Peter was the guiding light in my own professional career, as well as those of countless others across the past 50 years. When someone talks about traffic engineering in New Zealand, Peter’s is one of the first names to be mentioned – whether it is the planning and development of the central Wellington street network, the Auckland motorway ramp signalling or the numerous transport assessments (and associated public hearings) for major developments from Bluff to Kaitaia.
In 2020, it was announced that Peter had been made an Honorary Member of ITE. There could not have been a more fitting award for someone who offered so much to the profession and to all that knew him.
Andrew O’Brien
Hon Member of ITE