From death trap to lifeline: Coyote Valley's plan for wildlife crossings

"From Highway 101 to Monterey Road, traffic in Silicon Valley has become deadly for wildlife trying to move between the Santa Cruz Mountains and the Diablo Range. Now, a major project is underway to connect preserved open spaces in the South Bay and reduce dangerous crashes for drivers. Monterey Road is a death trap, said Fraser Shilling, a researcher at UC Davis who studies how wildlife interacts with roads."

"While trying to cross Monterey Road, for instance, a deer will often encounter a fenced median and, in its confusion, get caught in the flow of traffic, unable to escape. That may change in the coming years. The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority and its partners are set to begin designing wildlife crossings south of San Jose a project likely to take years to complete and still dependent on securing construction funding."

"Wildlife collisions are a deadly problem across the state. Vehicles kill thousands of wildlife every year in California. More than 40,000 deer are killed each year by drivers around 10% of the state's deer population and about twice as many as are killed by hunters, according to Shilling. But it isn't just wildlife that are affected. According to the California Highway Patrol, drivers are involved in thousands of crashes with animals every year, resulting in hundreds of injuries and sometimes even death."

Traffic between Highway 101 and Monterey Road threatens wildlife movement between the Santa Cruz Mountains and the Diablo Range. Deer and other animals can become trapped by fenced medians on Monterey Road and end up in vehicle traffic. The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority and partners plan to design wildlife crossings south of San Jose to connect preserved South Bay open spaces; design and construction will take years and depend on funding. Trap cameras document cougars and other wildlife using creek corridors. Vehicle-wildlife collisions kill thousands annually, including over 40,000 deer, and cost Californians more than $1.6 billion (2016–2023).

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