Wildlife-vehicle collision mitigation for safer wildlife movement across highways : State Route 260.

Details

• Creators:
  Dodd, Norris L. ; Gagnon, Jeffrey W. ; Boe, Susan ; Ogren, Kari ; Schweinsburg, Raymond E.
• Corporate Creators:
  Arizona. Game and Fish Dept. Research Branch
• Subject/TRT Terms:
  Collisions Deer Economic Benefits Traffic Safety And Wildlife--Research Elk Evaluation And Assessment Telemetry Traffic Volume Underpasses Wildlife Crossings
• Publication/ Report Number:
  FHWA-AZ-12-603
• Resource Type:
  Tech Report
• Geographical Coverage:
  Arizona
• Edition:
  Final report.
• Corporate Publisher:
  Arizona. Department of Transportation. Research Center
• Abstract:
  Researchers investigated wildlife-highway relationships in central Arizona from 2002 to 2008 along a 17-mile stretch
  
  of State Route (SR) 260, which is being reconstructed in five phases and will have 11 wildlife underpasses and
  
  6 bridges. Phased reconstruction allowed researchers to use a before-after-control experimental approach to their
  
  research. The objectives of the project were to:
  
   Assess and compare wildlife use of underpasses (UPs)
  
   Evaluate highway permeability and wildlife movements among reconstruction classes
  
   Characterize wildlife-vehicle collision (WVC) patterns and changes with reconstruction
  
   Assess relationships among traffic volume and WVCs, wildlife crossing patterns, and UP use
  
   Assess the role of ungulate-proof fencing with WVCs, wildlife UP use, and wildlife permeability
  
  Researchers used video surveillance to assess and compare wildlife use of six UPs, at which 15,134 animals and 11
  
  species were recorded; 67.5 percent crossed through UPs. Modeling found that UP structure type and placement was
  
  the most important factor influencing the probability of successful crossings by elk (Cervus elaphus) and Coues whitetailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). Researchers used Global Positioning System (GPS) telemetry tracking of 100 elk
  
  and 13 white-tailed deer to assess and compare permeability. Elk permeability on reconstructed sections was 39
  
  percent lower than controls, while deer permeability was 433 percent higher on reconstructed sections. The elkvehicle collision (EVC) rate on fenced reconstructed sections was the same as before-reconstruction levels, but on
  
  unfenced sections the EVC rate was nearly four times higher. In addition to a safer and more environmentally friendly
  
  highway, the economic benefit from reduced EVCs on SR 260 averaged $2 million/year since the completion of
  
  three reconstructed highway sections.
  
  
• Format:
  PDF
• Collection(s):
  US Transportation Collection
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:61a7bd39bc5cb726fdfcb61debf236fab738f06b74af6c8a273509fda0914dd3948ab2b5e76e5ef6fb020c361ca08cdf6f242ed0f6279e8c01146c57b40f6aa7
• Download URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/25398/dot_25398_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 2.87 MB ]