Why Do We Need Safe Passage for Wildlife on SR 224?
SR 224 is a Dangerous Roadway
for Wildlife Vehicle Collisions
Data collected over the past 30 years has shown the high frequency and danger of wildlife vehicle collisions on SR224.
This is not surprising, since SR 224 cuts right down the middle of the Snyderville Basin, which is a known wildlife habitat.
How Dangerous is SR 224?
UDOT, twice in the past five years, has hired specialists to look at the situation. The two studies by UDOT have raised the red flag regarding wildlife vehicle collisions on SR 224.
A 2019 study commissioned by UDOT Division of Research and Innovation and funded by UDOT Division of Traffic Safety, identified the top 25 highways in Utah for vehicle wildlife collisions. SR224 was identified as fifth worst in the state with 2.97 vehicle wildlife collisions per mile per year. *Identification of Wildlife-Vehicle Conflict Priority Hotspots in Utah, Summary Report, November 2019, by Patricia Cramer, PhD:
https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/56388/dot_56388_DS1.pdf.
A 2022 study commissioned and funded by UDOT Region 2 and performed by BIO-WEST, Wildlife Vehicle Collision Study SR-224, Summit County* provide link, documented 247 vehicle wildlife collisions on SR224 between 2010 and 2020 at an estimated cost of $11.5 million.*
UDOT's Weighted Crash Costs
*updated values posted on the UDOT website, March, 2024.
Year Fatal Serious Minor Possible No Injury
2024 $4,171,100 $4,171,100 $368,300 $184,900 $18,600
2019 $2,707,000 $2,707,000 $233,500 $131,700 $12,300
Compared to the 2019 report which evaluated wildlife vehicle collision data from 2008 to 2017, the 2022 report using crash data from 2010 to 2020 showed an increase in annual wildlife vehicle collision of 33%.
The banner above of wildlife vehicle collisions, as of November 1, shows there have been 47 wildlife vehicle collisions on SR 224 so far this year. That is an increase of 90% compared to the latest 10- year annual average of 24, and at an estimated cost of $2 million this year.
The situation will only get worse without permanent scientifically based wildlife mitigation measures put in place on SR 224.
What Wildlife Mitigation Measures have been done to date?
Over the past four years, SPSW has urged UDOT to FIND THE BEST SOLUTIONS to
address the WVC on SR 224. The lower cost solutions agreed upon and
implemented are:
● UDOT agreed to reduce the speed limit from 55 mph to 45 mph from Kimball
Junction to PayDay Drive
● UDOT agreed to place additional wildlife warning signs (illuminated yellow
diamond signs)
● SPSW used donor dollars to commission reflective wildlife silhouettes and
placed them at various locations along SR 224 to hopefully increase driver
awareness and educate the motorists that they are traveling in a wildlife
zone!
● Two elk silhouettes donated to PC near the McPolin Farm Trailhead parking
lot,
● Two moose silhouettes near Cutter Lane and SR 224,
● Two deer silhouettes donated to Swaner Preserve and placed along the west
side of Swaner Preserve near SR 224,
● Two moose calf silhouettes across from the white barn at Swaner,
● and two additional deer silhouettes near the pond at Silver Springs.
The 2022 BIO-WEST study also referenced research results that show the measures currently in place, 45 mph speed limit, and wildlife warning signs and silhouettes, while raising driver awareness, have little or unknown effectiveness in permanently reducing vehicle wildlife collisions.
What are proven scientifically based wildlife mitigation measures?
The BIO-WEST study highlighted the measures that have the highest success in reducing vehicle wildlife collisions are wildlife crossings, wildlife fencing, cattle guards and escape ramps. The study even identified the two hot-spot locations, those with highest frequency of wildlife vehicle collisions, as locations for wildlife crossings. One is in the vicinity of McPolin Farm and the other in the vicinity of Swaner Preserve.
The study also states:
“These two locations could function as permanent wildlife corridors
as they have open space and habitat on both sides of the highway
and would not direct wildlife into residential areas”.
Based on the $11.5 million cost of vehicle wildlife collisions between 2010 and 2020, between now and the 2034 Olympics we could see another $11.5 million in senseless vehicle wildlife collision costs if a crossing is not in place.
What Factors Are in Place or On the Horizon that will Make it Worse for Wildlife Vehicle Collisions on SR 224 without Crossings?
Growth/influx of local residents, workforce and tourists will surely increase the volume of traffic on SR 224 which is measured in AADT, annual average traffic. The current 30,000 AADT number will increase. The traffic during the 2034 Olympics is estimated to be 80,000 AADT.
We also have to account for the areas of open space that are already been set aside as well as the recent open space land purchases by the city and county. The entire basin is becoming protected space enlarging our wildlife habitat. Wildlife will increase, increasing their need to cross SR 224, increasing the number of wildlife vehicle collisions. It is ironic that our elected officials want to protect open space and wildlife habitat, but not the wildlife in the habitat that cross SR 224.
The Proposed Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Project is another factor that will impact wildlife vehicle collisions. The BRT proposes the addition of 2 dedicated bus lanes (one in each direction) to reduce travel time on SR 224:
https://www.hvtutah.gov/sr224-bus-rapid-transit
Expanding the width of SR 224 from 82 feet to 96 feet curb to curb, as shown in the two renderings from SPSW below and the schematic from High Valley Transit (also shown below), will increase the likelihood of wildlife being killed while crossing SR 224. This statement is based on logic and the considerable amount of research that has shown road widening reduces safety for pedestrians. Unfortunately, High Valley Transit did not analyze, assess or evaluate the impact of the road widening on wildlife vehicle collisions, and therefore were unable to come up with appropriate wildlife mitigations measures as required during their environmental assessment of BRT.
The reduced speed limit and signs might help, but will not likely have a significant impact on reducing vehicle wildlife collisions on SR224 as it exists today at 82 feet in width. Suggesting that these measures will work at a width of 96 feet, as a result of the proposed BRT, is highly unlikely. In addition to the greater distance that wildlife will have to navigate across SR224, studies have shown that driver perception of what is a reasonable speed increases as a result of a wider roadway.
How Are Our Local Elected Officials and State Agencies Addressing Wildlife Vehicle Collisions on SR 224?
UDOT Region 2 recently announced that they would not support wildlife crossings on SR 224. Summit County, High Valley Transit and Park City have been silent on this decision. UDOT, without performing any in depth analysis of the feasibility or viability of a crossing on SR 224, claimed wildlife would not use any crossing and they have to prioritize their efforts state wide. Research through the US and in other countries has shown that crossings with appropriate wildlife fencing, cattle guards and escape ramps are 90% effective in reducing wildlife vehicle collisions.
Regarding priorities state wide, there are 2 notable cases for comparison to SR 224. There are three wildlife crossing projects that Utah considers high priority and submitted them for federal grants to the Wildlife Crossings Pilot Program (https://highways.dot.gov/federal-lands/programs/wildlife-crossings) in August 2023. They were I80/I84 at a total cost of $26.53 million, US89 at a total of $10.39 million and US 40 at a total of $11.61 million.
Utah was granted federal funding for one of those projects, which was US 89. UDOT stated over the past five years, there have been nearly 75 crashes involving wildlife near US89. That is 15 a year. The BIO-WEST study documented 247 vehicle wildlife crashes on SR224 over 10 years. That is 24.7 a year. SR 224 has a 60% higher number of vehicle/wildlife collisions per year than US89. I80 at Echo Junction was identified as the 18th worst highway in Utah at 2.32 wildlife vehicle collisions per mile per year. SR 224 was identified as fifth worst at 2.97 wildlife vehicle collisions per mile per year. The numbers for SR 224 are 28% higher than I80 at Echo Junction.
UDOT uses their crash cost severity numbers to evaluate the safety benefits of reducing wildlife vehicle collisions. The safety benefit of reducing wildlife vehicle collisions on SR 224 over a 10- year period is $11.5 million.
The people bearing these costs are residents, workers that serve the community and tourists that support our economy. They are all constituents of the state and local area. SR 224 is certainly worthy of wildlife mitigation measures, compared to other roadways in Utah.
What Next
Save People Save Wildlife is pursuing outside expertise to truly determine where and what type of crossing would be feasible and viable for SR 224.
Save People Save Wildlife needs more public support for crossings and to put pressure on the powers that be to get crossings on SR 224. The most appropriate time to do a crossing is in conjunction with a major roadway project. There are 2 major projects in the works. The BRT project and the Kimball Junction Project. Now is the time to act. Wildlife crossings on SR 224 need to be recognized as a high priority for our community, and meaningful solutions need to be in place before the 2034 Olympics.
Recently, Save People Save Wildlife shared the following letter with local leadership to encourage them to encourage UDOT to place crossings on SR 224:
"New, up to date UDOT crash severity costs, show an increase of 53% compared to the 2019 costs. This is a significant increase especially for the number of vehicle wildlife collisions that occur on SR224.
UDOT's Weighted Crash Costs
*updated values posted on the UDOT website, March, 2024.
Year Fatal Serious Minor Possible No Injury
2024 $4,171,100 $4,171,100 $368,300 $184,900 $18,600
2019 $2,707,000 $2,707,000 $233,500 $131,700 $12,300
As you know, the latest study of wildlife vehicle collisions on SR224 was "Wildlife Vehicle Collision Study SR-224, Summit County, January 2022", funded by UDOT Region 2 and performed by BIO-WEST, INC. The BIO-WEST data reported 247 vehicle wildlife collisions on SR 224 from 2010 to 2020. Based on the 2019 crash costs, Save People Save Wildlife previously reported that the cost of those crashes was $7.5 million. Now with the updated numbers the same number of vehicle wildlife collisions will cost $11.5 million, an increase of 53%.
This year without reducing vehicle wildlife collisions will cost $1.15 million. Doing nothing between now and the Olympics will cost even more. Assuming only the same rate of increase in crash costs over the next ten years, the annual cost of the same number of vehicle wildlife collisions will be $2.7 million.
But wildlife vehicle collisions will also increase. The projected Bus Rapid Transit Project widening of SR224 from its current 82 feet wide to 96 feet wide, nearly 16% increase, will increase vehicle wildlife collisions. The amount of annual average daily traffic (AADT) will increase beyond the current number of 30,000, and will contribute to an increase in wildlife vehicle collisions. The AADT number for the Olympics is estimated at 80,000.
The number of local wildlife will increase since this community has set aside more open and protected spaces that prohibit hunting, increasing the probability of wildlife vehicle collisions. SPSW's tracker of wildlife deaths on SR224 from wildlife vehicle collisions for 2024 currently exceeds the annual average reported by BIO-WEST by 85%!
It is abundantly clear that we cannot afford to do nothing in light of the escalating increase in the cost of wildlife vehicle collisions, not to mention the safety risks to motorists and the death of our local wildlife. We all know that SR 224 is UDOT's responsibility. But the motorists who are paying the cost of wildlife vehicle collisions are people who live here, people who work here and people who visit and recreate here. They are all your constituents in one way or another. Save People Save Wildlife is simply asking you to represent them and urge UDOT to implement measures that have been shown to be 90% effective in reducing wildlife vehicle collisions.
Do it for your constituents, do it for our precious wildlife.
Respectfully,
Save People Save Wildlife"
BEFORE EXPANSION
