Evaluation of Right-of-Way Fence Tags to Reduce Wildlife-Vehicle Collisions

Wildlife-vehicle collisions seriously threaten wildlife populations and contribute to human injuries, deaths, and property loss. Wildlife crossing structures (WCS) in Arizona have been shown to reduce such collisions (Gagnon et al. 2011). However, highway reconstruction budgets are limited and result in time constraints that may delay building additional crossing structures. Fence tags may provide a viable alternative to preventing vehicle collisions with elk and deer. Such tags cost less than permanent crossing structures and even rival the costs for the more complex alternatives listed above. The research objectives of this project: Since fence tags have not been rigorously tested to determine their degree of effectiveness with elk and deer, ADOT needs to thoroughly evaluate their potential safety impact on the rate of vehicle collisions with large wildlife. (1) Install fence tags along selected stretches of interstate highway (such as Interstates 17 and 40) where elk-vehicle collisions are prevalent and analyze relevant crash data over the testing period. (2) Evaluate maintenance needs of fence tags through monthly inspection and replacement. (3) Identify locations along ADOT roads for further testing or future implementation based on prevalence of elk-vehicle collisions.

• Record URL:
  https://azgeo.maps.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=72fe650bbb1f4c11ae86feb0a3b4f887

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Completed
• Funding: $65,000
• Contract Numbers:

  SPR-758

• Sponsor Organizations:

  Federal Highway Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Managing Organizations:

  Arizona Department of Transportation Research Center

  206 S. 17th Avenue
  ADOT Research Center
  Phoenix, AZ  United States  85007
• Project Managers:

  McIlwain, Julie

• Performing Organizations:

  Arizona Game and Fish Department

  5000 W. Carefree Highway
  Phoenix, AZ  United States  85086
• Principal Investigators:

  Gagnon, Jeff

• Start Date: 20171122
• Expected Completion Date: 20230531
• Actual Completion Date: 20230516

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Deer; Fences; Inspection; Right of way (Land); Wildlife crossings
• Subject Areas: Environment; Highways; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01634923
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Arizona Department of Transportation
• Contract Numbers: SPR-758
• Files: RIP, STATEDOT
• Created Date: May 17 2017 7:27PM