The Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) recently landed a $566,000 federal grant aimed at enhancing both wildlife connectivity and driver safety. This grant, part of the Federal Highway Administration’s Wildlife Crossings Pilot Program, will fund the creation of an online tool for mapping locations where wildlife-vehicle collisions frequently occur. Developed using Geographic information systems (GIS) mapping technology, the tool is designed to consolidate data on habitat connectivity, past collisions, and strategically developed methods to minimize such incidents. As reported by AZDOT, the new mapping tool will assist in evaluating potential wildlife crossing sites more efficiently.
Statewide crash figures from ADOT illuminate the scale of the issue, indicating that there were 2,014 such collisions in the year 2023 alone, leading to 241 injuries and the deaths of four individuals. The agency, through years of data accumulation and strategy development to reduce wildlife-vehicle encounters, views the grant as a critical step toward safeguarding Arizona's roads. The tools developed using this grant will build upon previous studies such as the 2006 Arizona Wildlife Linkages Assessment and a 2021 Statewide Wildlife Conflict Study, using data sources ranging from crash databases to animal tracking from the Arizona Game and Fish Department.
The funding for this initiative is made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which is allocating a total of $350 million over five years for the Wildlife Crossings Pilot Program. The latest grant for ADOT is a part of the first round of national project selections for fiscal year 2024-25, with a requirement for a $32,000 state match. Previously, AZDOT reported receiving a $24 million grant at the end of 2023 for wildlife crossing improvements along Interstate 17 in northern Arizona.
Arizona's commitment to mitigate wildlife-vehicle collisions has been ongoing, as exemplified by various infrastructure developments constructed by ADOT which are designed to promote wildlife mobility. These include wildlife overpasses and underpasses along US 93 near Hoover Dam; a system of fencing and crossings on State Route 260 east of Payson; and a set of additions on State Route 77 north of Tucson, featuring an overpass and underpass for wildlife movement. As part of the recent investments, a new wildlife overpass and fencing on State Route 86 between Tucson and Sells has been established to avoid accidents caused when attempting to cross the road by wildlife, hence, effectively reducing collision risks.
