Utah Roadkill Reporter App Helps Guide Mitigation Efforts

Item #: 20240011

CONTACTS

Implementing Organization: Stormwater / Environmental Team, Central Maintenance / Facilities Management
Implementation Lead: Matt Howard
Development Team: App development by Nathan Kota's team at the Utah Geospatial Resource Center (UGRC) with guidance from Nichole Nielson, Blair Stringham, and Makeda Hanson (UDWR). Shawn Lambert (UDOT) helped distribute the app through UDOT.

Article Written By: Quinten Klingonsmith
Innovation Council Liaison: Quinten Klingonsmith
Innovation Team Coordinator: Quinten Klingonsmith

STATUS

Implementation Date: November 1, 2022
Adoption Status: Fully Implemented
Adoptability Note: This is a good example of UDOT's use of a crowdsourcing app. How might your team leverage the knowledge of the greater population?

APPLIES TO

Topic: Data Collection, Analysis and Visualization
Organization(s): Aeronautics, Amusement Ride Safety, Asset Management, Central Maintenance / Facilities Management, Communication, Data Technology & Analytics, Emergency Management, Employee Development, Environmental Division, GIS, Human Resources / DHRM, Incident Management, Internal Audit, ITS, Motor Carrier Division, Performance Management, Planning, Policy, Railroad, Region 1, Region 2, Region 3, Region 4, Research and Innovation, Right of Way, Risk Management, Road Usage Charge, Stormwater / Environmental, Strategic Investment, Structures, Traffic and Safety, Traffic Management Division, Trails and Transit, Transit / Rural Public Transit
Job Role(s): Business Analyst, Information Specialist, Program Director, Program Manager, Program Specialist, Roadway Operations / IMT, ROW / Permits, Transportation Technician
Tags: highway transportation, labor productivity, employee empowerment, political factors, crashes, , automation, ( process improvement ), crowdsourcing, communications > public relations ( PR ), information technology >> software, networks, risk management, insurance, ( data visualization ), geographic information systems ( GIS ), highway operations, ( traffic operations ), maintenance, traffic safety > highway safety, trucking safety, aesthetics, environmental quality > pollution > air, noise, quality of life

PROBLEM

More than 10,000 animals are estimated to be struck and killed by vehicles in Utah each year. Not only do these carcasses need to be removed from the roadway, but UDOT and the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (DWR) need to better understand where these collisions happen most frequently.

CHANGE

DWR and UDOT released the Utah Roadkill Reporter app for iPhone and Android smartphones so that people could easily report the location and description of any dead animals they see along the roadside.

RESULT

In 2023 over 3,800 animals were reported in the app making it possible to remove roadkill from freeways and highways more quickly. Each report provides GPS location and detailed information about the species. This information helps officials understand needs and prioritize mitigation efforts such as wildlife fencing, underpasses, overpasses, and signs.