This site will look much better in a browser that supports web standards, but it is accessible to any browser or Internet device.
Title: Effectiveness of Trapper's Point Wildlife Crossing Animal Detection
Principal Investigator's Name(s): Dr. Rhonda Young, P.E.
Project Sponsor: Wyoming Department of Transportation
Project Timeline: Completion December 2008
Background:
Animal detection and traveler warning systems are relatively new technology
being used by transportation agencies to address safety concerns
related to vehicle-wildlife crashes.
These systems go beyond the static wildlife warning signs that drivers
quickly become accustomed to and also avoid the habitat separation
issue of wildlife fencing methods. Detection and warning systems
typically consist of two parts; the animal detection system
component that is usually calibrated to detect large animals in the
vicinity of the roadway and the warning system that activates
drivers warning signs. Since these signs are not static the belief
is that they elicit greater response from the drivers than the
passive, traditional signage.
The main objective of this research work is to investigate the effectiveness of the Trapper’s Point
Animal Detection System. To meet this objective the following major
research tasks are proposed
- Determine the success of the system to detect big game in the roadway vicinity.
- Determine the effect of the warning signs with flashing beacons on driver behavior.
- Determine the impact of the system reducing vehicle-wildlife crashes.
Each of these research objectives will be broken into individual phases with interim reports prepared for each phase.