Influence of Traffic Noise and Light on Wildlife Movement Near Highways

Traffic results in noise and light propagated from roadways into surrounding landscapes, including human and natural communities. A previous National Center for Sustainable Transportation (NCST) project has supported the development of multi-scale (local to state) models of traffic illumination and noise extending from highways. These traffic-effect areas may be habitat for a wide range of species, including wildlife attempting to cross highways via existing culverts and bridges, or purpose-built wildlife crossings. With previous NCST research using camera traps, researchers found that coyote and mule deer have varying behavioral responses to traffic noise at wildlife crossings. This project extends both the noise and light modeling and the previous investigations of wildlife crossings to include more species (mountain lion, mule deer, and Peninsular bighorn sheep) and many more highways and regions. The research team will statistically model the effect of traffic noise and light from traffic on occurrence of these 3 species and movements of global positioning system (GPS)-collared individuals as they approach highways. This information is critical in informing and making more effective the massive investments that local, state, and federal governments are making in wildlife crossings and fencing to improve driver and wildlife safety. In other words, knowing the traffic effects on wildlife as they approach highways will allow mitigation of those effects using design and construction of the crossings, such as barriers and berms. Because wildlife crossings are the primary investments transportation agencies make to reduce wildlife impacts and increase driver safety, understanding wildlife ability to get to these crossings and use them is critical to the effectiveness of the investment and the role the investment plats in environmental sustainability.

• Record URL:
  • https://ncst.ucdavis.edu/project/influence-traffic-noise-and-light-wildlife-movement-near-highways

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Active
• Funding: $125,788.00
• Contract Numbers:

  DOT 69A3552348319

  DOT 69A3552344814

• Sponsor Organizations:

  Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology

  University Transportation Centers Program
  Department of Transportation
  Washington, DC  United States  20590

  National Center for Sustainable Transportation

  University of California, Davis
  Davis, CA  United States 

  California Wildlife Conservation Board

  Sacramento, California  United States 
• Managing Organizations:

  National Center for Sustainable Transportation

  University of California, Davis
  Davis, CA  United States 

  University of California, Davis

  1 Shields Ave
  Davis, California  United States  95616
• Project Managers:

  Cliff, Sydney

• Performing Organizations:

  National Center for Sustainable Transportation

  University of California, Davis
  Davis, CA  United States 

  University of California, Davis

  1 Shields Ave
  Davis, California  United States  95616
• Principal Investigators:

  Shilling, Fraser

  Nájera, Fernando

• Start Date: 20260401
• Expected Completion Date: 20270331
• Actual Completion Date: 0
• USDOT Program: University Transportation Centers

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Environmental impacts; Highways; Lighting; Traffic noise; Wildlife; Wildlife crossings
• Subject Areas: Environment; Highways;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01985462
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: National Center for Sustainable Transportation
• Contract Numbers: DOT 69A3552348319, DOT 69A3552344814
• Files: UTC, RIP
• Created Date: Apr 12 2026 11:12PM