Tag: safety

NEW PUBLICATION: Forest Service Releases Report on Wildlife Crossing Structures

Posted on June 9th, 2021

The United States Forest Service (USFS) has published Highway Crossing Structures for Wildlife: Opportunities for Improving Driver and Animal Safety. The report is the result of a seven-year collaboration by USFS, WTI, ARC Solutions and additional federal, state, and private agencies, combining the work of a team of engineers, ecologists, biologists, landscape architects, and policy experts. Highlights of the report include:

  • An exploration of the high cost of wildlife-vehicle collisions and the many challenges to transforming the U.S. road network.
  • Documentation of the safety, ecological, economic, and social benefits anticipated to accrue from investing in highway crossings for wildlife, including enhanced motorist safety, reduced wildlife mortality, and improved habitat connectivity.
  • Identification of policy and funding improvements and activities that would further support the deployment of crossing structures.
  • Recommendations on how to build upon successful efforts to reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions already underway at the federal, state, local, and tribal levels.

WTI Road Ecology Program Rob Ament served as one of the editors for the report, and WTI Research Scientists Tony Clevenger, Marcel Huijser, and Angela Kociolek are contributing authors.

CITATION: Ament, R.; Jacobson, S; Callahan, R.; Brocki, M., eds. 2021. Highway crossing structures for wildlife: opportunities for improving driver and animal safety. Gen. Tech. Rep. PSW-GTR-271. Albany, CA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Research Station. 51 p.

OUTREACH: WTI Director Updates Big Sky Chamber on $10 million Infrastructure Grant

Posted on May 17th, 2021
Portrait of David Kack from 2020

In late April, the Big Sky (MT) Chamber of Commerce hosted a meeting focused on upcoming infrastructure projects in the region.  WTI Director David Kack presented an update on the $10 million federal TIGER Grant, which will fund safety and mobility improvements along U.S. Highway 64/Lone Mountain Trail.  WTI partnered with Gallatin County, Sanderson Stewart, and other regional stakeholders on the proposal that secured the grant. In his remarks, Kack emphasized the importance of this partnership in helping a rural region win a major federal award.  Construction is anticipated to begin this summer on individual projects, to include new turn lanes, vehicle pull-out areas, wildlife crossing signs, a pedestrian tunnel, and recreational paths.  More highlights from the meeting were covered in an article by Explore Big Sky.

In the News: NBC Montana Highlights Traffic Calming Project in Ennis

Posted on October 30th, 2020
Traffic calming delineators installed along Main Street in Ennis, Montana
Delineator installation on Main Street in Ennis, Montana

In the small town of Ennis, Montana, local officials and residents are concerned for the safety of pedestrians and motorists on Main Street (US 287), which is experiencing issues with increased traffic and speeding. WTI, in partnership with the Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) and the Town of Ennis, recently completed the testing phase of a pop-up traffic calming installation to evaluate potential strategies. Spearheaded by WTI researchers Matt Madsen and Danae Giannetti, the project consisted of delineators placed in key locations on Main Street to slow down vehicles coming from the main highway. NBC Montana aired a feature story and interviewed WTI Director David Kack about the status and next steps for the project, which include evaluating its effectiveness and reviewing public feedback.

See the full news story on the NBC Montana website. To learn more about WTI’s traffic calming projects in other Montana towns, see our articles about traffic circles in Helena and street art in Bozeman.

FoRRRwD Webinars continue on May 12

Posted on May 7th, 2020
Logo for National Center for Rural Road Safety

The National Center for Rural Road Safety is co-sponsoring a series of webinars with FHWA and NLTAPA on the Every Day Counts round five (EDC-5) initiative, “Focus on Reducing Rural Roadway Departures (FoRRRwD).” The theme of the next webinar will be Innovative Mechanisms to Deliver Safety Projects. This free webinar will be presented on May 12, 2020, at 1 pm (Eastern time). Presenters from Maine, Mississippi, and Montana will share their guidance and experiences.  More information is available on the FHWA registration webpage.

Governor Launches Parenting Website Created by CHSC

Posted on February 11th, 2019

Photo of Montana Governor Steve Bullock and Annmarie McMahill seated at a news conference
Montana Governor Steve Bullock and Annmarie McMahill

Attention Montana parents! The Center for Health and Safety Culture (CHSC), in partnership with the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services, has created ParentingMontana.org – a new website packed with informative tools on guiding children and teens toward safe and healthy behaviors.

On January 23, Montana Governor Steve Bullock officially launched the website with a news conference, stating “In Montana, we want what’s best for our kids and we all want to be the best parent possible. Now, there’s a new resource available to tackle the wide variety of challenges youth deal with and to support the success of each child in Montana.”

The website features practical tools for parents with kids ranging from age five to age nineteen, covering challenging topics such as anger, bullying, chores, confidence, conflict, discipline, friends, homework, listening, lying, peer pressure, reading, routines, stress, and underage drinking. It is the product of months of thorough and detailed work by the entire staff at CHSC.

Principal Investigators Annmarie McMahill and Jay Otto had the opportunity to participate in the news conference to celebrate the website going live. “It is exciting to see all these great tools come together in one easy-to-use location,” said Annmarie, “and so gratifying to work on a project that will be immediately helpful to parents, teachers, and caregivers in our communities.”

CHSC has posted the Governor’s full news release on its website.

Several news stories also feature photos, video clips and quotes by CHSC staff:

KXLH Channel 9 (Helena); KRTV Channel 3 (Great Falls); and KPAX (Missoula) News: https://kxlh.com/news/montana-and-regional-news/2019/01/24/state-announces-new-program-for-montana-parents/

Montana Public Radio: http://www.mtpr.org/post/state-launches-website-help-parents-raise-their-kids

Great Falls Tribune: https://www.greatfallstribune.com/story/news/2019/01/23/montana-launches-parenting-website/2662375002/

Coming up Soon! December Summit will Focus on Rural Road Safety

Posted on October 15th, 2018

Banner image promoting National Summit on Rural Road Safety, December 4-6, 2018. Photo depicts first responders assisting at a traffic accident

Following a highly successful inaugural forum in 2016, the National Center for Rural Road Safety and the National Association of County Engineers will host the 2nd National Summit on Rural Road Safety from December 4-6, in Savannah, Georgia.  At the first summit, more than 100 attendees from around the country collaborated on defining the future for “Moving Rural America” by articulating the key transportation safety issues facing rural areas, culminating in a call to action of “On the Road to Zero, We Cannot Ignore Rural.”

For the second summit, participants will continue to move the rural conversation forward and focus more intently on safety solutions and “Bridging the Gap.”  Some of the key questions they will tackle include how to create a unified voice for rural areas, and how to implement safety solutions with rural constraints.

“After the first summit, participants were encouraged by the progress we made to develop an initial action plan and they wanted to keep the momentum going,” said Safety Center Manager Jaime Sullivan. “At the upcoming summit, we’re looking forward to taking the next step of how to select and implement safety solutions that will make a real difference on rural roads.”

If you’re interested in attending, early bird registration closes on November 12!  The agenda and registration information are available here.