An evaluation of roadside activity and behavior of deer and black bear to determine mitigation strategies for animal-vehicle collisions.

Details

• Creators:
  Donaldson, Bridget M. ; Kweon, Young-Jun ; Lloyd, Lewis N.
• Corporate Creators:
  Virginia Transportation Research Council
• Corporate Contributors:
  United States. Federal Highway Administration ; Virginia. Dept. of Transportation
• Subject/TRT Terms:
  • Traffic accidents
  • Wildlife
  • Deer
  • Fences
  • Variable message signs
  • Underpasses
  • Animal behavior
• Publication/ Report Number:
  FHWA/VTRC 16-R4
• Resource Type:
  Tech Report
• Geographical Coverage:
  Virginia
• Corporate Publisher:
  Virginia Transportation Research Council
• Abstract:
  Virginia is consistently among the top 10 states with the highest number of deer-vehicle collisions (DVCs), with more ; than 56,000 DVCs per year since 2007. The Virginia Department of Transportation has targeted a section of I-64 on and near ; Afton Mountain for safety and mobility improvements because of a high number of crashes and traffic stoppages. DVCs are a ; primary driver safety concern in the area, and vehicle collisions with black bears are also relatively frequent. Mitigation strategies ; are needed to address this issue. ; The purpose of this study was to evaluate white-tailed deer activity and behavior along (1) an interstate roadside adjacent ; to unfenced isolated underpasses used by deer and (2) a stream corridor / highway intersection with no viable underpass for deer. ; Although not a primary focus, black bear and other wildlife activity was also evaluated. Two years of camera data and animal ; carcass removal data were analyzed to gain a better understanding of deer and black bear activity and behavior relative to the two ; road and landscape features. ; Cameras were installed at a large bridge underpass and a box culvert (both used by deer to cross beneath the highway) ; and along the adjoining 0.5-mile roadside on both sides of the underpasses. Despite frequent use of the underpasses by deer ; (1,187 per year), there was high deer activity along the adjacent roadside (1,182 per year). A statistically significant relationship ; was found between roadside deer activity and DVCs (i.e., as deer activity increased, DVCs increased), and this relationship was ; strongest in October and November. Although highway crossing attempts comprised a low proportion of deer behavioral ; responses (n = 100 crossing attempts), crossing attempts resulted in 7.5 DVCs per year on the 1-mile highway segments adjacent ; to each unfenced underpass. Deer along the roadside exhibited relatively low responsiveness (or vigilance) to the interstate; ; predominant behaviors included walking along the roadside and feeding. ; At the stream corridor / highway intersection, cameras were installed at the intersection and extended along the adjoining ; 0.25-mile roadside on both sides of the intersection. Bear were more active along the roadside near the stream corridor than at the ; underpass sites. The stream corridor and associated topography were found to concentrate deer movement toward a relatively ; short section of highway; deer activity was statistically higher nearest the stream corridor / highway intersection and decreased ; farther away from this intersection. DVCs were statistically correlated with roadside deer activity and were significantly higher ; during October and November than during the other months of the year. ; Study recommendations include (1) the installation of fencing along the roadside adjacent to existing large underpasses, ; and (2) an animal advisory message on the dynamic message signs along I-64 in the Afton Mountain area. Messages should be ; displayed from dusk through dawn from October through November (to correspond with periods of higher deer activity and ; DVCs). Fencing both sides of just one underpass is expected to result in a savings in costs associated with DVCs of $501,473 ; over its service life. A planned post-mitigation study may find that these low-cost forms of mitigation could have a substantial ; impact on drivers and wildlife, particularly if implemented on a larger scale.
  More +
• Format:
  PDF
• Funding:
  103647
• Download URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/29482/dot_29482_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 1.28 MB]
• Collection(s):
  US Transportation Collection
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha256:564a70edb5ed4a34021160dba39caa1e93bdce48954b3577f55a15798fcc3823