amg7393@psu.edu

Just about one 1 million animals are killed on roads in the United States every day. A Department of Transportation reports identified 21 federally-endangered species that are directly impacted by traffic on roadways. Collisions with animals are a common sight, and even the word we use to describe the bodies of these animals – roadkill– is proof that for a very long time, roads have been the cause of an astronomically high number of animal deaths and collisions. These animal-vehicle collisions don’t just cause a loss in wildlife lives, but they also endanger human lives and cause thousands of dollars in car damage. As someone from rural southern Pennsylvania, I have seen firsthand the kind of damage animals can do to vehicles and the people inside of them. Shattered windshields, broken headlights and in some cases, even totaled cars. 

However, these collisions may become a thing of the past. For the first time ever, Congress has made a huge investment in wildlife crossings, allocating $350 million in bipartisan infrastructure. The infrastructure will fund projects in all 50 states. Put simply, I think this is a great investment.  

I think this is an incredible use of infrastructure money. If we can stop both animal death and traffic accidents, that is the best option. After all, humans came into their habitat, modified it, and yet we still expect them to avoid our vehicles and understand our roadways. The creation of an infrastructure package designed to both increase green space and increase safe animal crossings is finally here. 

However,  I don’t think this should be the last step in the plan to reduce wildlife deaths due to vehicle traffic. The amount of traffic in an around highways, like Highway 101 in California, is causing more than just animal deaths. Wildlife Ecologists believe that the mountain lion population in the Santa Monica Mountains are experiencing low genetic diversity because of the barrier caused by Highway 101. They cannot cross the highway to get to other habitat areas in the Santa Susan Mountains. The inability to cross into new territory has resulted in inbreeding among the mammals, thus creating an ever-shrinking pool of genetic diversity. It has gotten to the point where many of these mountain lions have visible physical manifestations, like permanently kinked tails. 

It’s understandable why these overpasses have not been a common occurrence, as they can be expensive. However, the argument that building structures like these is too expensive of an endeavor assumes incorrectly that there is not cost in doing nothing. Close to $10 billion dollars in property damage is the result of animal-vehicle collisions, a DoT study found. That is about 29 times more than the cost of the recently-passed infrastructure package. Congress’s recent investment marks the first major action taken to reduce this astronomical number. Regardless of the cost, there hasn’t been nearly enough dedicated funding into projects like these. Transportation agencies in the United States tend to prioritize projects that specifically and immediately address human safety, like decaying bridges and unless you live in Pennsylvania, potholes. 

I strongly believe that priority needs to shift. The world is seeing an ever-increasing number of endangered species each year, and an ever-decreasing amount of those animals left in the wild. It is estimated that only 120 to 230 Florida panthers live in the wild. 21 were killed by vehicles last year alone. Assuming the latter of the population numbers, that would mean that 9 percent of the population was killed in one year alone. Assuming the former population number, that number doubles, to about 18 percent of the population. 

As an avid animal lover, environmental activist, and student who attends a university whose mascot is a big, endangered cat, I cannot help but feel that more needs to be done to protect not just these animals, but every animal. Implementing funding packages like the one Congress just passed is the first action on a long list that should be taken to protect wildlife in this country. 

Further infrastructure and fast creation of these habitat overpasses will be integral in saving more lives-both animal and human.