Moose-vehicle collisions in Massachusetts: the need for speed... reduction

Transcription

1 Wildlife Passage and Crash Reduction Efforts in Maine & Massachusetts Moose-vehicle collisions in Massachusetts: the need for speed reduction Stephen DeStefano & David Wattles U. S. Geological Survey Massachusetts Cooperative Fish & Wildlife Research Unit Image credit:

2 Wildlife Passage and Crash Reduction Efforts in Maine & Massachusetts Acknowledgments Mass. Division of Fisheries & Wildlife Mass. Dept. of Conserv. & Recreation University of Massachusetts-Amherst Cooperative Research Unit Program Image credit:

3 Topics & Objectives i. Re-colonization and status of moose in southern New England; ii. Moose research in Massachusetts; iii. Moose-vehicle collisions (MVC) data; iv. Moose road crossings and spatial use GPS data; v. Reducing MVCs brief review and a recommendation.

4 i. Moose in Southern New England... image credit:

5 Moose distribution in North America image credit:

6 Current (black dash) and historical (blue dash) southern extent of moose distribution USA New England and New York Pennsylvania New Jersey

7

8 Declining moose populations Segments declining Increasing/stable Southern New England?

9 Density: low but stable; ~0.2/km 2 = 0.5/mi 2 (range-wide /km2 =<0.1-14/mi 2 ) Reproduction: high calf-to-cow ratio (~0.5:1; evidence of twinning) Sex ratio: bulls = cows (0.97:1; unhunted population) Relatively low natural mortality (low predation, diseases, parasites)

10 Indices to moose abundance in SNE 2004

11 Moose distribution in Massachusetts Berkshire Region Connecticut River Valley Central Highlands Quabbin Reservoir Metropolitan Worcester- Boston: occasional sightings - higher elevations - early successional patches SE and Cape Cod: few to no sightings

12 ii. Moose Research...

13 (1) Collected and compiled data on Moose-vehicle Collisions (MVC) throughout Massachusetts including date, time, location, age/gender, outcome. (image credit: Jonathan Hayward/Canadian Press)

14 (2) Captured and Collared Moose - 36 moose free-ranging and relocations - GPS fixes every min. - collected 2,000-10,000+ locations/moose - analyzed spatial use data - home range and movements - habitat use - interactions with development - road crossings

15

16 Forested habitat in Massachusetts

17 Roads Average Daily Traffic

18 Road class and speed limits. Class Description Speed Interstate and major highways 65 2 State highways 50 3 Major local arteries 40 4 Light duty roads 30 5 Unpaved roads 25 (Sources: McGarigal et al [CAPS]; MassDOT; MassGIS)

19 Other road and landscape variables around MVCs in Massachusetts. Variable Description Traffic volume Average daily traffic volume Slope Relief Connectivity Road density Mean slope along km transects. Max. relief along 8 transects. Habitat connectedness in circular buffer. Km/km 2 of all roads in circular buffer. Natural Amount of forest and wetland in circular buffer. (Sources: McGarigal et al [CAPS]; MassDOT; MassGIS)

20 GPS locations

21 GPS pathways

22 Cadwell Bull: large cut to E, wetland to N, small cut to SW

23 Statistical Analyses and Modeling Multiple logistic regression models. Dichotomous variable labeled as: 1 = an MVC (n = 332 during ) 0 = random locations with no MVC (n = >2,000) Use:availability habitat modeling (Manly et al. 2002), where use = moose locations, available = random points

24 iii. Moose-Vehicle Collisions... Image credit: Ashley Stoddard

25 Road mortality of collared moose (n = 4) 1) Rte 2 in Gardner (brainworm suspected) 2) Rte 122 in Petersham 3) Rte 112 in Huntington 4) Rte 102 in Lee MA 2) ) 112 *MVC not reported moose died months later

26 Mortality of collared moose Moose n Mort. MVC Train Injury Spring Hunt Post-cap Free-ranging (38%) Relocated (71%) Totals (50%) MVC = Motor Vehicle Collisions = 20% of all mortalities. No hunting in MA (hunter kills from VT and NH). Post-capture <3 months after capture and relocation.

27 Comparison of MVCs Location Moose Pop. Annual MVC Pop. % HFR 1 Massachusetts 1, Maine 30,000-60, New Hampshire 4,000-6, Vermont 4,000-5, Minnesota 4,300-6, NA Anchorage, Alaska 450 (900) Norway 100, , , NA Newfoundland 150, British Columbia 180, NA Sweden 200, ,000 4,000-6, Finland NA NA 1 HFR = Human Fatality Rate = HF/MVC.

28 MVC per year (reported to Massachusetts Division of Fisheries & Wildlife)

29 MVC per month (reported to Massachusetts Division of Fisheries & Wildlife) JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC

30

31

32

33

34 MVC and Road Type The influence of speed limit and traffic volume based on known locations. Road Class/Type Road density Number (%) of MVC Interstate Highway (33%) State Highway (54%) Main Road (5%) Local Road (7%) 87% (An additional 79 MVCs were unknown locations, i.e., town only.)

35 Relative probability of MVCs based on road class and increasing habitat. (5 km scale, Worcester Plateau, Massachusetts)

36 image credit:

37 iv. Moose x Roads... Crossings and habitat selection

38 Moose Path CRW Path 10 CRW Paths Moose Road Crossings 100 CRW Paths

39 State Highways Major Local Roads Minor Local Roads Minor Local Roads Forest Roads Winter

40 Probability of use by moose

41

42

43 Topography and MVC Locations Elevation Profile of Route 2 Hot Spot 25 km 37 reported MVC 400 Road Profile Rte2 Hot Spot

44 Topography and MVC Locations Elevation Profile of Route 2 Orange-Greenfield 12 km 2 reported MVC 400 Road Profile Rte2 west-cent

45 A combination of factors leads to MVC hot spots... Forested Habitat Moose Abundance Human Densities Traffic Volumes Road Class & Speed Seasonal Movements Landscape Variables

46 Roads affect movements and habitat use: - Interstate highways as major barriers - State highways as semi-permeable barriers - Occasional avoidance of local roads - Seasonal effects Image credit: pinterest.com Image credit: Joseph Robertia, Redoubt Reporter

47 image credit: Press Herarld. v. Reducing MVCs

48 Image credit:

49 USGS Coop. Res. Unit Mass. DFW Mass. DOT Route 202, Mass. MVC hot spot

50 Mitigation Methods: Animal Abundance, Distribution, Behavior (1) Reduce abundance through seasonal harvest or lethal control. (2) Fencing exclusion, directional. (3) Over- and under-passes.

51 Mitigation Methods: Driver Behavior (1) Increased education and awareness. (2) Signs --- standard, large, seasonal. (3) Animal detection systems --- in and outside of vehicle. (4) Increased visibility --- lighting, vegetation & snow mgt., reflective collars. (5) Reduction in traffic volumes --- temporary road closures. (6) Reduction of the posted speed limit. (?) Enforcement of posted speed limits. (Source:

52 The primary cause of accidents is an accumulation of factors however,... Speeding is one of the most prevalent factors contributing to traffic crashes for,... Single vehicle crashes, multi-vehicle crashes, accidents involving humans,... accidents involving wildlife.

53 For humans: - >30% of all fatal crashes involves speeding - overall, >10-12,000 deaths and >$40 billion/year - accidents are a leading cause of death among children For wildlife: - estimated 1-2 million killed annually For climate change: - transportation is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions - effective enforcement of speed limits: - saves fuel - reduces pollutants Safety gains from slower driving are indisputable. (Sources: USDOT Federal Highway Admin.; Motorcycle Safety Foundation; European Environment Agency)

54 image credit:

55 image credit: USGS Mass. Coop. Fish & Wildlife Research Unit