scholarly journals Effectiveness of small road tunnels and fences in reducing amphibian roadkill and barrier effects; case studies of retrofitted roads in Sweden

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan Olof Helldin ◽  
Silviu O Petrovan
Keyword(s):  
Risk Model ◽  
Amphibian Conservation ◽  
End Effects ◽  
The Road ◽  
Barrier Effects ◽  
Car Traffic ◽  
Road Tunnels ◽  
Road Mitigation ◽  
Implementation Progress ◽  
Available Information

Although schemes to reduce road impacts on amphibians have been implemented for decades in Europe, several aspects on the effectiveness of such schemes remain poorly understood. Particularly in northern Europe, including Sweden, there is a widespread lack of available information on road mitigation for amphibians, which is hampering implementation progress and cost-effectiveness analyses of mitigation options. Here we present data derived from systematic counts of amphibians during spring migration at three previous hot-spots for amphibian roadkill in Sweden, where amphibian tunnels with guiding fences have now been installed. We used the data in combination with a risk model to estimate the number of roadkills and successful crossings before vs. after mitigation and mitigated vs. adjacent non-mitigated road sections. The estimated number of amphibians killed or at risk of being killed by car traffic decreased by 91–100% and the estimated number successfully crossing the road increased by 25–340% at mitigated road sections. Data however suggested fence-end effects that may moderate the reduction in roadkill. We discuss possible explanations for the observed differences between sites and construction types, and implications for amphibian conservation. We show how effectiveness estimates can be used for prioritizing amphibian passages along the existing road network. Finally, we emphasise the importance of careful monitoring of amphibian roadkill and successful crossings when new amphibian passages are constructed.

scholarly journals Effectiveness of small road tunnels and fences in reducing amphibian roadkill and barrier effects; case studies of retrofitted roads in Sweden

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan Olof Helldin ◽  
Silviu O Petrovan
Keyword(s):  
Risk Model ◽  
Amphibian Conservation ◽  
End Effects ◽  
The Road ◽  
Barrier Effects ◽  
Road Tunnels ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Road Mitigation ◽  
Implementation Progress ◽  
Available Information

Schemes to reduce road impacts on amphibians have been implemented for decades in Europe, yet, several aspects on the effectiveness of such schemes remain poorly understood. Particularly in northern Europe, including Sweden, there is a lack of available information on road mitigation for amphibians, which is hampering implementation progress and cost-effectiveness analyses of mitigation options. Here we present data derived from systematic counts of amphibians during spring migration at three previous hot-spots for amphibian roadkill in Sweden, where amphibian tunnels with guiding fences have been installed. We used the data in combination with a risk model to estimate the number of roadkills and successful crossings before vs. after mitigation and mitigated vs. adjacent non-mitigated road sections. The estimated number of amphibians killed or at risk of being killed by car traffic decreased by 91–100% and the estimated number successfully crossing the road increased by 25–340% at mitigated road sections. Data however suggested fence-end effects that may moderate the reduction in roadkill. We discuss possible explanations for the observed differences between sites and construction types, and implications for amphibian conservation. We show how effectiveness estimates can be used for prioritizing amphibian passages along the existing road network. Finally, we emphasise the importance of careful monitoring of amphibian roadkill and successful crossings before and after amphibian passages are constructed.

scholarly journals Effectiveness of small road tunnels and fences in reducing amphibian roadkill and barrier effects; case studies of retrofitted roads in Sweden

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan Olof Helldin ◽  
Silviu O Petrovan
Keyword(s):  
Risk Model ◽  
Amphibian Conservation ◽  
End Effects ◽  
The Road ◽  
Barrier Effects ◽  
Road Tunnels ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Road Mitigation ◽  
Implementation Progress ◽  
Available Information

Schemes to reduce road impacts on amphibians have been implemented for decades in Europe, yet, several aspects on the effectiveness of such schemes remain poorly understood. Particularly in northern Europe, including Sweden, there is a lack of available information on road mitigation for amphibians, which is hampering implementation progress and cost-effectiveness analyses of mitigation options. Here we present data derived from systematic counts of amphibians during spring migration at three previous hot-spots for amphibian roadkill in Sweden, where amphibian tunnels with guiding fences have been installed. We used the data in combination with a risk model to estimate the number of roadkills and successful crossings before vs. after mitigation and mitigated vs. adjacent non-mitigated road sections. The estimated number of amphibians killed or at risk of being killed by car traffic decreased by 91–100% and the estimated number successfully crossing the road increased by 25–340% at mitigated road sections. Data however suggested fence-end effects that may moderate the reduction in roadkill. We discuss possible explanations for the observed differences between sites and construction types, and implications for amphibian conservation. We show how effectiveness estimates can be used for prioritizing amphibian passages along the existing road network. Finally, we emphasise the importance of careful monitoring of amphibian roadkill and successful crossings before and after amphibian passages are constructed.

scholarly journals Effectiveness of small road tunnels and fences in reducing amphibian roadkill and barrier effects at retrofitted roads in Sweden

PeerJ ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. e7518 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan Olof Helldin ◽  
Silviu O. Petrovan
Keyword(s):  
Risk Model ◽  
Amphibian Conservation ◽  
End Effects ◽  
The Road ◽  
Barrier Effects ◽  
Road Tunnels ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Road Mitigation ◽  
Implementation Progress ◽  
Available Information

Schemes to reduce road impacts on amphibians have been implemented for decades in Europe, yet, several aspects on the effectiveness of such schemes remain poorly understood. Particularly in northern Europe, including Sweden, there is a lack of available information on road mitigation for amphibians, which is hampering implementation progress and cost-effectiveness analyses of mitigation options. Here, we present data derived from systematic counts of amphibians during spring migration at three previous hot-spots for amphibian roadkill in Sweden, where amphibian tunnels with guiding fences have been installed. We used the data in combination with a risk model to estimate the number of roadkills and successful crossings before vs. after mitigation and mitigated vs. adjacent non-mitigated road sections. In mitigated road sections, the estimated number of amphibians killed or at risk of being killed by car traffic decreased by 85–100% and the estimated number successfully crossing the road increased by 25–340%. Data, however, suggested fence-end effects that may moderate the reduction in roadkill. We discuss possible explanations for the observed differences between sites and construction types, and implications for amphibian conservation. We show how effectiveness estimates can be used for prioritizing amphibian passages along the existing road network. Finally, we emphasize the importance of careful monitoring of amphibian roadkill and successful crossings before and after amphibian passages are constructed.

scholarly journals Determination of Reserves for Reducing Delays and Increasing the Capacity of the Street-Road Network in Gomel as a Factor of Reducing Losses in Traffic

2021 ◽  
pp. 65-72
Author(s):  
D. P. Khodoskin
Keyword(s):  
Road Network ◽  
Urban Traffic ◽  
Economic Losses ◽  
Value Assessment ◽  
Large Cities ◽  
The Road ◽  
Car Traffic ◽  
Traffic Capacity ◽  
Real Objects ◽  
Time Expenditures

Purpose. Often, the existing level of traffic capacity of road network facilities in large cities is insufficient. This is often due to the fact that urban growth is significantly ahead of the reconstruction and renovation of the corresponding infrastructure. As a result, traffic delays of various kinds occur on city roads, accompanied, first of all, by economic losses. Therefore, the search for reserves to reduce various types of losses associated with insufficient traffic capacity of the road network when organizing urban traffic is the purpose of this work. Methodology To determine the reserves for increasing the traffic capacity of the road network and reducing various kinds of delays, the method of deterministic analysis was used, the method for calculating the cycle according to F. Webster, based on the use of phase coefficients and time lost in the cycle (as the sum of transient intervals), the method for measuring the intensity of car traffic in the traffic flow, as well as the methodology for calculating economic losses arising from delays in the movement of vehicles. Findings. A study of delays and time expenditures and the corresponding economic losses that occur at typical objects of the city's street-road network (regulated intersections) has been carried out. The reserves of their reduction, and as a consequence, the increase in the capacity of both individual sections and the city's road network as a whole, have been determined. Originality. The use of this method on real objects of the road network allows developing the scientific interpretation of the methods used and expanding the scope of their application. Practical value. Assessment of emerging problems of traffic capacity and associated losses (including economic ones) makes it possible to determine the most promising ways to determine the traffic capacity reserves and, as a result, reduce economic losses.

scholarly journals On the Road to Sustainable Urban and Transport Development in the Automobile Society? Traced Narratives of Car-Reduced Neighborhoods

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (16) ◽  
pp. 4375 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sina Selzer ◽  
Martin Lanzendorf
Keyword(s):  
Best Practice ◽  
Controversial Issues ◽  
Research Perspective ◽  
Housing Developments ◽  
Implementation Processes ◽  
The Road ◽  
Car Traffic ◽  
On The Road ◽  
Negative Impacts ◽  
The City

Worldwide, academics and practitioners are developing ‘planning-oriented’ approaches to reduce the negative impacts of car traffic for more sustainable urban and transport development. One such example is the design of car-reduced neighborhoods, although these are controversial issues in the hegemonic ‘system’ of automobility. Despite the reduction of emissions and frequent recognition as ‘best practice examples’, ‘planning-critical’ research questions the underlying objectives and narratives of such sustainable developments. Our study contributes to this research perspective by improving the understanding of narratives that emerge along with car-reduced housing developments. For this purpose, we analyze two car-reduced neighborhoods in the City of Darmstadt (Germany) by conducting interviews with different actors involved in the planning and implementation processes. Our investigation reveals that the development of car-reduced neighborhoods (i) is consciously embedded in the context of sustainability, (ii) is characterized by power relations, (iii) follows normative indicators, and (iv) does not always correspond to lived realities. Altogether, the traced narratives of car-reduced neighborhoods are embedded in the overarching debate on sustainability, while at the same time revealing the dependence of society on the automobile. Thus, the hegemonic ‘system’ of automobility—although it is beginning to crack—continues to exist.

Individuals matter: predicting koala road crossing behaviour in south-east Queensland

2018 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
pp. 67 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. E. Dexter ◽  
R. G. Appleby ◽  
J. Scott ◽  
J. P. Edgar ◽  
D. N. Jones
Keyword(s):  
Mitigation Strategies ◽  
Urban Landscapes ◽  
Phascolarctos Cinereus ◽  
The Road ◽  
Crossing Structures ◽  
Dramatic Decline ◽  
Road Mitigation ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Road Crossing

The ability to predict the frequency with which koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus) cross roads is an important step in developing mitigation strategies aimed at maintaining metapopulation viability for this species. In south-east Queensland, Australia, rapid urban development, including fragmentation and vehicle-related mortality, has contributed to a dramatic decline in local koala populations. Assessment of wildlife crossing structures that mitigates the impact of roads demonstrates these to be beneficial for many species. However, building enough structures to enable animals to move freely across impacted landscapes may be prohibitive in complex urban landscapes. The focus for this study was to consider the role of differing characteristics for species at risk. We examined the frequency of road crossings by individual koalas among six subpopulations in south-east Queensland. We explored the influence of potential predictor variables including: age, sex, and distance from roads. We established that road crossings were limited to a subset of individuals, with only 18 of 51 (~35%) koalas studied ever crossing a road. We found that koalas were disproportionately more likely to cross a road if they had initially been found within a distance of 100 m of that road. Males were more likely to cross roads than females, as were koalas aged less than five years. We suggest that successful wildlife road mitigation can be improved by better understanding the road-crossing behaviour of species such as the koala.

scholarly journals Specifics of road safety inspection in tunnels

2021 ◽  
Vol 67 (3) ◽  
pp. 33-38
Author(s):  
Emir Smailovic ◽  
Boris Antić ◽  
Dalibor Pešić ◽  
Slaviš Beronja
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Road Safety ◽  
Traffic Accident ◽  
Road Network ◽  
Road Traffic ◽  
State Of The Art ◽  
Safety Standards ◽  
The Road ◽  
Road Users ◽  
Road Tunnels

Tunnels are underground passages, placed horizontally, which serve to lead the road through them. In order to fulfill its purpose in road traffic, the tunnel must fit into the traffic infrastructure and as such not create an obstacle in movement and enable the movement of vehicles from entrance to exit without danger, but with increased restriction of freedom of lateral evacuation. Tunnels are among some of the most risky parts of the road network, primarily due to space constraints, where there is a possibility of a traffic accident. Managing the risks associated with the passage of road traffic, and in particular the safety of traffic in tunnels, is a serious problem in many countries. With the growing number of road users, it is necessary to adopt stricter standards regarding road tunnels. In addition to meeting these safety standards, factors such as operational requirements, economic efficiency, energy efficiency and state-of-the-art technology should also be taken into account when planning and equipping tunnels.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document