Planning and Design of Transport Network and Wildlife Passage

Planning and Design of Transport Network and Wildlife Passage

Corridors and Crossings

With human and animal interactions becoming common, and the fact that animals themselves are sometimes traveling to a different region, either in search for food, or seasonal migration, a continuous habitat is essential for their connectivity and stability. A corridor is necessary due to such factors and allows for the movement between the different habitats. Many types of corridors exist and depend on how much natural habitat and human activities have been in the zones.

With the need to link different regions for humans, road networks have been built that sometimes affects the corridors supporting animal life. Crossing structures are thus made in such situations to help with the movement of animals.

Transport Planning

For a transport planning project, the type of road, expected driving speed, and width of the road are some of the factors considered. The types of roads depend on land access and traffic movement. In Edmonton, the three main types of roads are collector, local, arterial, light rail transit (LRT).

Within Edmonton city, the transport system documentation is found in the Draft Transport Master Plan (TMP) of October 2008. The road networks include highway connectors, Inner Ring Road, Anthony Henday Drive, transit system (ETS), trails and paths, and truck routes. These roads have different speed limits, users, and volume patterns.

Any road project changes the ecological system where it is constructed. Environmental factors, landscape, wildlife, and other living species are considered for the safety of both drivers and animals. Land use, such as industrial, water bodies, and natural areas, is supposed to play a significant role during the planning of the transport system. As explained above, corridors are essential for animals, and any road project needs to factor in corridors and crossing structures that the animals will use when the transport network is built. Maps such as vegetation, topographical and Land maps can be used to help in the planning of the road project (Stantec, 2010).

Apart from wildlife, other human structures were built to solve social problems. For instance, culverts were constructed for the passage of water underneath the road. Such structures ended up causing problems for the wildlife. Culverts, for example, does not allow fish and aquatic passage (Stantec, 2010).

The Edmonton design guide deals explicitly with wildlife passage. With the different range of ecologies proposed, the guide follows the ecological group guidelines, which is specified in the Edmonton guideline.

Transport Design

When designing transport systems, human and wildlife safety is considered. Areas with a high population density of wildlife and ditches are avoided as a prevention measure to prevent accidents between the animals and speeding drivers (Stantec, 2010). The steepness of slopes and emergency access should also be factored in.

During the planning of the transport network, species in the region the network passes are identified, and their needs studied and considered to know how the infrastructure will be designed. Using ecologists familiar with the location and wildlife found within the area is the first step. An ecological design group is later used to classify the animals to know mitigation strategies to use. An example of a design group can be a grouping of moose and deer into a large terrestrial group based migration and feeding requirements for their basic survival. Toads and salamander can be grouped into amphibians based on their habitats. Such groups are then used to know how to protect them and reduce any changes to their habitat. Mitigation strategies can include giving a clear line of sight through the structure and having vegetation to help the large terrestrial animals. Also, the use of fabrics that allow thermal conductivity protects amphibians during spring migration.

Conclusion

Transport planning and design need to factor in both road users and the animals that are dwelling in the areas the transport network will pass through. Such planning and design avoids accidents and conserves the natural habitat essential for the animals to thrive as before the road network was built. Finally, further investigations on the existing transport network are required to asses’ conservation of natural habitat and free movement of animals.