Public Comment on the Draft 2025 Unified Transportation Program (UTP) - Wildlife Crossings

Oct 22, 2026

Upload by acoobca

Submission urges the Texas Department of Transportation to expand the Draft 2025 Unified Transportation Program by funding studied wildlife crossing measures—fencing combined with overpasses or underpasses—on specific road segments already identified as delivering a return on investment. The comment links animal-vehicle collisions to Texas safety impacts, citing crash, fatality, and cost estimates, and references a 2019 University of Texas at Austin report. It identifies matching projects and recommends Funding Category 8: Safety and Funding Category 10: Supplemental Transportation Programs for related grants.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages14

Reading Time35 min

AccessFree to download

Public Comment Purpose

Safety Goal Context

Evidence and Report Findings

Cross-Referenced UTP Projects

Funding Recommendations

Matched Road Segment Details

August 5, 2024 Marc D. Williams Executive Director Texas Department of Transportation 125 East 11th Street Austin, TX 78701 RE: Public Comment on the Draft 2025 UTP Dear Mr. Williams and TxDOT leadership, We appreciate the opportunity to comment on the Draft 2025 Unified Transportation Program (UTP) . We write today to urge the Department to incorporate wildlife crossingson road segments TxDOT has previously identified as providing a return on investment by reducing animal-vehicle collisions (AVCs) . As you know, TxDOT has set a goal of zero deaths on Texas roads by 2050 through its \#EndTheStreakTX campaign. The dangers that precipitate traffic fatalities are broad and complex. An often-overlooked danger to Texas drivers is the unexpected presence of animals on the road. From 2014 to 2023, Texas reported an annual average of 7,540 crashes that resulted from a collision with an animal. These incidents have detrimental impacts on road safety for Texans. In those 10 years, 189 people died in animal-vehicle collisions in Texas. In fact, Texas leads the nation in fatalities from AVCs. Many more crashes involve incapacitating injuries. According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau, San Antonio and Austin are the top two cities in the United States by number of animal-related insurance claims. These crashes cost Texans an average of $647 million annually. The dangers that animal-vehicle collisions present to roadway safety are real and acute. In 2019, the Center for Transportation Research (CTR) at the University of Texas at Austin, in collaboration with TxDOT, produced a report titled “Incorporation of Wildlife Crossings into TxDOT's Projects and Operations.” This report aimed to review options to reduce AVCs and provide guidance to TxDOT. The report found at least 100 Texas road segments where the construction of wildlife crossings, namely fencing combined with overpasses/underpasses, would provide a return on investment based on the collisions prevented. After cross-referencing the UTP Project Listings with the road segment data (the overpass and underpass road data are enclosed), we found that 11 of the projects set to receive funding under the 2025 Draft UTP contain one of these road segments. We call upon TxDOT to implement the studied wildlife crossing measures, fencing combined with either overpasses or underpasses, on the following road segments. The 2025 UTP could allocate funding to these projects through Funding Category 8: Safety. Furthermore, Funding Category 10: Supplemental Transportation Programs, could help TxDOT allocate funding to projects on or bordering Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) lands. 1. | 2025 Draft UTP Project Name | Widen Non-Freeway-Navasota | | --- | --- | | TxDOT District | Bryan | | County | Grimes | | 2025 Draft UTP Map ID | 0338-01-067 | | Highway | SH 105 | | 2019 Report Link_ID | 69130 | | Mitigation Measure | Fencing + Overpass | | 2019 Report Benefit-Cost Ratio | 1.674958 | | 2019 Report Starting Reference Marker | 656 | | 2019 Report Ending Reference Marker | 658 | | 2019 Report Length of Section | 1.759 | | 2010-2016 Total AVCs | 8 | | 2010-2016 Fatal (K) AVCs | 0 | | --- | --- | | 2010-2016 Incapacitating Injury (A) AVCs | 1 | | 2010-2016 Non-Incapacitating Injury (B) AVCs | 1 | | 2010-2016 Possible Injury (C) AVCs | 0 | | 2010-2016 Unknown (O) AVCs | 6 | | 2025 Draft UTP Project Name | I-20 East Widen to Six Freeway-Taylor | | --- | --- | | TxDOT District | Abilene | | County | Taylor | | 2025 Draft UTP Map ID | 0006-06-081 | | Highway | IH 20 | | 2019 Report Link_ID | 49327 | | Mitigation Measure Option A | Fencing + Underpass | | 2019 Report Benefit-Cost Ratio A | 1.523878032 | | Mitigation Measure Option B | Fencing + Overpass | | 2019 Report Benefit-Cost Ratio B | 1.400322 | | 2019 Report Starting Reference Marker | 289 | | 2019 Report Ending Reference Marker | 290 | | 2019 Report Length of Section | 1.052 | | 2010-2016 Total AVCs | 4 | |

FAQs

What is the main request made to TxDOT in the comment?

Incorporate wildlife crossing measures—fencing combined with overpasses or underpasses—into projects funded under the Draft 2025 Unified Transportation Program on identified road segments.

Why does the comment emphasize wildlife crossings?

Animal-vehicle collisions are described as a significant, complex safety danger in Texas, with reported crashes, fatalities, and associated costs. The comment states that wildlife crossings can reduce collisions and provide a return on investment.

Which funding categories does the comment recommend for these projects?

It recommends Funding Category 8: Safety for the studied crossing measures, and Funding Category 10: Supplemental Transportation Programs to support projects on or bordering Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) lands.

Oct 22, 2026

Upload by acoobca