WILDLIFE-AN ESSENTIAL CONSIDERATION DETERMINING FUTURE HIGHWAY ROADSIDE MAINTENANCE POLICY
A BRIEF HISTORICAL BACKGROUND IS PRESENTED OF ROADSIDE DEVELOPMENT. EMERGING CONCEPTS ARE PRESENTED OF ROADSIDE VEGETATION MANAGEMENT AND THE RESULTING IMPLICATIONS FOR GROUND-NESTING BIRDS AND SMALL MAMMALS IN THE MIDWEST. BECAUSE OF ECONOMIC CONSIDERATIONS, MANY STATES ARE ALTERING THEIR PROGRAMS OF VEGETATION MANAGEMENT ON HIGHWAY ROADSIDES BY REDUCING THE FREQUENCY OF MOWINGS. THIS CHANGE IN MAINTENANCE POLICY IS RESULTING IN SUBSTANTIAL INCREASES IN ACREAGES OF NESTING COVER ALONG HIGHWAY ROADSIDES FOR SONGBIRDS AND GAME BIRDS. WILDLIFE ACCIDENTS ON HIGHWAYS ARE REVIEWED. OF ALL WILD AND DOMESTIC ANIMALS THAT CAUSE ACCIDENTS ON HIGHWAYS, ACCIDENT STATISTICS SHOW THAT DEER CONSTITUTE THE GREATEST MENACE. FEW DATA ARE AVAILABLE ON ACCIDENTS CAUSED BY ANIMALS OTHER THAN DEER. SEVERAL STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT SIZABLE NUMBERS OF SMALL MAMMALS AND BIRDS ARE KILLED ON HIGHWAYS, ALTHOUGH NONE DISCUSSED THE IMPLICATIONS FOR TRAFFIC SAFETY. THE SECOND GROUP OF ROADSIDE COVER IS DISCUSSED. A RECENT STUDY WAS CONDUCTED TO ASCERTAIN PRESENT EXPERIENCE IN THE MULTIPLE USE OF LAND WITHIN CONTROLLED-ACCESS HIGHWAY RIGHT- OF-WAY FOR PURPOSES OTHER THAN THE MOVEMENT OF TRAFFIC. OVER TWENTY TYPES OF MULTIPLE USES WERE EMPLOYED IN ALL PORTIONS OF HIGHWAY RIGHTS-OF-WAY. THESE INCLUDED UNCOMMON USES, SUCH AS AGRICULTURE AND STREAM-ACCESS SITES, IN ADDITION TO THE USUAL SAFETY REST AREAS AND SERVICE PLAZAS. NO STATES REPORTED WILDLIFE UTILIZATION OF ROADSIDES AS A MULTIPLE USE.
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Supplemental Notes:
- Paper sponsored by Committee on Roadside Development. Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
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Authors:
- Joselyn, G Blair
- Publication Date: 1969
Media Info
- Media Type: Digital/other
- Features: Figures; References; Tables;
- Pagination: pp 1-14
- Monograph Title: Roadside development
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Serial:
- Highway Research Record
- Issue Number: 280
- Publisher: Highway Research Board
Subject/Index Terms
- TRT Terms: Birds; Crash causes; Deer; Maintenance; Mowing; Roadside; Roadside improvement; Traffic crashes; Vegetation; Wildlife
- Subject Areas: Design; Environment; Highways; Maintenance and Preservation; Safety and Human Factors;
Filing Info
- Accession Number: 00204759
- Record Type: Publication
- Files: TRIS, TRB
- Created Date: Oct 21 1994 12:00AM