ANIMAL VEHICLE CRASH MITIGATION USING ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY PHASE I: REVIEW, DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION Final Report SPR-3(076) ANIMAL VEHICLE CRASH MITIGATION USING ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY PHASE I: REVIEW, DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION SPR-3(076) by Marcel P. Huijser, Patrick T. McGowen, Whisper Camel, Amanda Hardy, Patrick Wright, and Anthony P. Clevenger Western Transportation Institute - Montana State University P.O. Box 174250, Bozeman, MT 59717-4250 and Lloyd Salsman and Terry Wilson Sensor Technologies and Systems, Inc. 8900 East Chaparral Road, Scottsdale, Arizona 85250 for Oregon Department of Transportation Research Unit 200 Hawthorne Ave. SE, Suite B-240 Salem OR 97301-5192 and Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities, and the Departments of Transportation of California, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Wyoming and Federal Highway Administration 400 Seventh Street SW Washington, DC 20590 August 2006 Technical Report Documentation Page 1. Report No. FHWA-OR-TPF-07-01 2. Government Accession No. 3. Recipient’s Catalog No. 4. Title and Subtitle 5. Report Date Animal Vehicle Crash Mitigation Using Advanced Technology August 2006 Phase I: Review, Design and Implementation 6. Performing Organization Code 7. Author(s) 8. Performing Organization Report No. Marcel P. Huijser, Patrick T. McGowen, Whisper Camel, Amanda Hardy, Patrick Wright, and Anthony P. Clevenger Western Transportation Institute - Montana State University P.O. Box 174250, Bozeman, MT 59717-4250 Lloyd Salsman and Terry Wilson Sensor Technologies and Systems, Inc. 8900 East Chaparral Road, Scottsdale, Arizona 85250 9. Performing Organization Name and Address 10. Work Unit No. (TRAIS) Western Transportation Institute - Montana State University P.O. Box 174250 11. Contract or Grant No. Bozeman, MT 59717-4250 SPR 3(076) 12. Sponsoring Agency Name and Address 13. Type of Report and Period Covered Lead state: Final report - Phase I Oregon Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration October 1999 - December 2005 Research Unit and 400 Seventh Street SW 200 Hawthorne Ave. SE, Suite B-240 Washington, D.C. 20590 14. Sponsoring Agency Code Salem, Oregon 97301-5192 Also: Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities, and the Departments of Transportation of California, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Wyoming Pooled fund study SPR 3(076): http://www.pooledfund.org/projectdetails.asp?id=222&status=6 15. Supplementary Notes 16. Abstract Animal-vehicle collisions affect human safety, property and wildlife. The number of these types of collisions has increased substantially over the last decades. This report describes the results of a project that explored the prospects for a relatively new mitigation measure to reduce animal-vehicle collisions: animal detection systems. Animal detection systems use high tech equipment to detect large animals when they approach the road. Once a large animal is detected, warning signs are activated urging drivers to reduce the speed of their vehicles, be more alert, or both. Lower vehicle speed and increased alertness may then lead to fewer and less severe collisions with such animals as deer (Odocoileus sp.), elk (Cervus elaphus) or moose (Alces alces). This report documents Phase I of the project (October 1999 - December 2005). The report identifies existing animal detection system technologies and their vendors; describes the selection of two experimental detection systems and their installation at two field sites; documents the experiences with planning and design, installation, operation and maintenance; documents test results on the reliability of the two systems; documents system acceptance; and provides advice for the future development and application of animal detection systems. 17. Key Words 18. Distribution Statement Accident reduction, Animal detection systems, Animal-vehicle collision, Copies available from NTIS, and online at Habitat connectivity, Dynamic warning signs, Intelligent Transportation http://www.oregon.gov//ODOT/TD/TP_RES/ Systems (ITS), Mitigation, Road-kill, Safety, Ungulates, Wildlife 19. Security Classification (of this report) 20. Security Classification (of this page) 21. No. of Pages 22. Price Unclassified Unclassified 214 + appendices Technical Report Form dot f 1700.7 (8-72) Reproduction of completed page authorized A Printed on recycled paper i SI* (MODERN METRIC) CONVERSION FACTORS APPROXIMATE CONVERSIONS TO SI UNITS APPROXIMATE CONVERSIONS FROM SI UNITS Symbol When You Know Multiply By To Find Symbol Symbol When You Know Multiply By To Find Symbol LENGTH LENGTH in inches 25.4 millimeters mm mm millimeters 0.039 inches in ft feet 0.305 Meters m m meters 3.28 feet ft yd yards 0.914 Meters m m meters 1.09 yards yd mi miles 1.61 kilometers km km kilometers 0.621 miles mi AREA AREA in2 square inches 645.2 millimeters squared mm2 mm2 millimeters squared 0.0016 square inches in2 ft2 square feet 0.093 meters squared m2 m2 meters squared 10.764 square feet ft2 yd2 square yards 0.836 meters squared m2 ha hectares 2.47 acres ac ac acres 0.405 Hectares ha km2 kilometers squared 0.386 square miles mi2 mi2 square miles 2.59 kilometers squared km2 VOLUME VOLUME mL milliliters 0.034 fluid ounces fl oz fl oz fluid ounces 29.57 Milliliters mL L liters 0.264 gallons gal gal gallons 3.785 Liters L m3 meters cubed 35.315 cubic feet ft3 ft3 cubic feet 0.028 meters cubed m3 m3 meters cubed 1.308 cubic yards yd3 yd3 cubic yards 0.765 meters cubed m3 MASS NOTE: Volumes greater than 1000 L shall be shown in m3. g grams 0.035 ounces oz MASS kg kilograms 2.205 pounds lb oz ounces 28.35 Grams g Mg megagrams 1.102 short tons (2000 lb) T lb pounds 0.454 Kilograms kg TEMPERATURE (exact) T short tons (2000 lb) 0.907 megagrams Mg °C Celsius temperature 1.8C + 32 Fahrenheit °F TEMPERATURE (exact) °F Fahrenheit 5(F-32)/9 Celsius temperature °C temperature * SI is the symbol for the International System of Measurement (4-7-94 jbp) ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The authors would like to thank the agencies that funded this study: the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and 15 departments of transportation: Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities, and the Departments of Transportation of California, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. Other funds were received from the Western Transportation Institute at Montana State University (University Transportation Center funds). Representatives of the 15 DOTs and FHWA that funded the project, and representatives from Yellowstone National Park, the vendors, and WTI-MSU during a field visit at the MT site (Photo: Pat McGowen, WTI-MSU). Special thanks go to the following: • Oregon Department of Transportation for leading this pooled fund study and assisting with the preparation of this report; • Montana Department of Transportation and Yellowstone National Park for their help and hosting the animal detection system along US Hwy 191 in Yellowstone National Park; and • Pennsylvania Department of Transportation for their help and hosting the animal detection system along Hwy 22/322 northwest of Harrisburg. iii Representatives of PennDOT and Maryland Department of Transportation during a field visit at the PA site (Photo: Marcel Huijser/ WTI-MSU). In addition, we would like to thank the current and former members of the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) (see Appendix A), FHWA representatives and other advisors for their help and guidance for this project: Clint Adler, Alisa Babler, Fred Bank, Pat Basting, Anthony Boesen, William Branch, Dave Church, Mike Clarke, Allan Covlin, Justin Farrell, Jon Fleming, Gary Frederick, Steve Gent, Bill Gribble, Sedat Gulen, Kevin Haas, Pete Hansra, Amanda Hardy, Kim Hoovestol, Lynn Irby, Barnie Jones, John Kinar, Keith Knapp, Felix Martinez, Rex McCommon, Pat McGowen, Andrew Morrow, AJ Nedzesky, Greg Placy, Kevin Powell, Bob Raths, Jaime Reyes, June Ross, Barbara Schell-Magaro, Jay Van Sickle, Sue Sillick, Richard Stark, Jill Sullivan, Carol Tan, Mark Traxler, Deb Wambach, Davey Warren, Kyle Williams, and Patrick Wright. Thanks also to Steve Albert, Rick Bennett, Stephanie Brandenberger, Jeralyn Brodowy, Mike Bousliman, Kevin Bruski, Whisper Camel, Tony Clevenger, Vincent Cramer, Troy Davis, Maurice Dedycker, Jerry Dupler, Jaime Eidswick, Bonnie Gafney, Ross Gammon, Lori Gruber, Julie Hannaford, Amanda Hardy, Christie Hendrix, Neil Hetherington, Manju Kumar, Robb Larson, Shel Leader, Craig McClure, Leslie McCoy, Keith Mullins, Stanley Niemczak, Jason Norman, Roy Parmly, Mark Petersen, John Powell, Dennis Prestash, James Roman, Russell Rooney, Bob Seibert, James Shype, Rhonda Stankavich and Pat Wright for their help with the planning (including permitting and engineering plans), installation (including traffic control), operation, maintenance, or other activities related to the animal detection systems along US Hwy 191 in Yellowstone National Park, MT, and along hwy 22/322 northwest of Harrisburg, PA. The animal detection systems were designed and developed by Sensor Technologies and Systems (MT site) and Oh DEER, Inc. (PA site). We would like to thank them for their efforts, specifically Walker Butler, Dennis and Nick Henningsen, Steve Miller, Randy Moore, Nik Nikula, Steve Pisciotta, Lloyd Salsman, Roger Werre and Terry Wilson. Michiana Contracting Inc., Eagle