Planning-Support for Mitigation of Wildlife-Vehicle Collisions and Highway Impacts on Migration Routes in Wyoming

Wyoming is home to abundant big game, including long-distance migratory species such as mule deer, elk, and pronghorn. Where these animals’ movement patterns intersect with roads, vehicles often hit animals. This poses a threat both to highway safety and to wildlife populations. Here, the authors identified 27 deer-vehicle collision “hotspots” in the state. The authors then analyzed the ecological and road characteristics that are associated with these areas. High rates of deer-vehicle collision are most strongly associated with high traffic volumes, high speed limits, deer migration habitat, deer winter-use areas, irrigated agriculture, and wetlands. The authors then examined the spatial and temporal patterns of collisions for each hotspot in relation to known deer migration routes and winter-use areas. Using these results, the authors suggest mitigation measures that are most suitable for each of the 27 collision hotspots.

• Record URL:
  • https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/34185
• Corporate Authors:

  Teton Science Schools

  Jackson, WY  United States 

  Wyoming Department of Transportation

  5300 Bishop Boulevard
  Cheyenne, WY  United States  82009-3340

  Federal Highway Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Riginos, Corinna
  • 0000-0001-9082-5206
  • Copeland, Holly
  • 0000-0001-8613-2650
  • Smith, Chauncey
  • 0000-0001-8861-6763
  • Sawyer, Hall
  • 0000-0002-3789-7558
  • Krasnow, Kevin
  • 0000-0002-0887-2503
  • Hart, Thomas
  • 0000-0002-3246-7049
• Publication Date: 2016-8

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Edition: Final Report
• Features: Appendices; Figures; Maps; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 105p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Animal migrations; Animal vehicle crashes; Crash characteristics; Deer; High risk locations; Highway safety; Recommendations; Spatial analysis; Wildlife
• Geographic Terms: Wyoming
• Subject Areas: Highways; Planning and Forecasting; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01731897
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: FHWA-WY-16/10F
• Contract Numbers: RS03215
• Files: NTL, TRIS, ATRI, USDOT, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Feb 26 2020 9:14AM