Highway Median Impacts on Wildlife Movement and Mortality: State of the Practice Survey and Gap Analysis

Details

• Creators:
  Clavenger, Anthony P. ; Kociolek, Angela V.
• Corporate Creators:
  Western Transportation Institute
• Corporate Contributors:
  California. Department of Transportation. Office of Materials and Infrastructure Research
• Subject/TRT Terms:
  • Environmental impacts
  • Median barriers
  • Roadside fauna
  • Wildlife
  • Wildlife crossings
  • Road kill
  • Medians
  • Median strips
  • Environmental aspects
  • Traffic safety and wildlife
• Publication/ Report Number:
  F/CA/MI-2006/09
• Resource Type:
  Research Paper
• Geographical Coverage:
  California
• Corporate Publisher:
  Western Transportation Institute
• Abstract:
  Highway median barriers are used to separate lanes of traffic and enhance motorist safety on freeways and multi-lane interstate highways. Median barriers of all types have the potential to impede animal movements across highways. Barriers may also increase the risk of road mortality if wildlife becomes trapped or confused while on the road searching for a place to cross. A recent Transportation Research Board report highlighted the need to better understand the potential impacts of highway barriers. The lack of information to properly assess environmental impacts is causing significant project delays and increasing transportation project costs. This study includes a state of the practice survey and a review and synthesis of the literature on highway median barriers, their impacts to wildlife movement and performance of mitigative design solutions and provides Caltrans with research recommendations.
• Format:
  PDF
• Download URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/27680/dot_27680_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 1.40 MB]
• Collection(s):
  US Transportation Collection
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha256:a4f800f9287bd414a62c48b8c14ed334df8f222929c3cd2a6c2cf0440bfb8d4f