On Friday, USDOT announced that $125 million in grants were awarded to 16 projects in 16 states through the agency’s Wildlife Crossings Pilot Program, which was created by the IIJA. The funding will cover construction of wildlife crossings and studies of potential projects and existing systems. The news release summarizes several of the projects that received grants.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg stated, “Too many Americans are injured or killed each year in crashes involving cars and wildlife, especially in rural areas — which is why our Department created the first-ever program dedicated to crossings that make roads and highways safer for both humans and wildlife.” More than 1 million vehicle collisions involving wildlife are estimated to occur each year, with direct and indirect costs totaling over $10 billion in economic value, according to USDOT.
A KGW video report covers the award of $33 million grant to Oregon DOT for construction of an I-5 wildlife crossing.
New York State DOT received a $324,000 grant to conduct a study of wildlife-vehicle collisions and ways to improve habitat connectivity. Governor Kathy Hochul (D) recently vetoed legislation that would have required NYSDOT to identify the most hazardous spots for wildlife collisions and develop a mitigation plan.