Assessing and Managing the Ecological Impacts of Paved Roads

All phases of road development—from construction and use by vehicles to maintenance—affect physical and chemical soil conditions, water flow, and air and water quality, as well as plants and animals. Roads and traffic can alter wildlife habitat, cause vehicle-related mortality, impede animal migration, and disperse nonnative pest species of plants and animals. Integrating environmental considerations into all phases of transportation is an important, evolving process. The increasing awareness of environmental issues has made road development more complex and controversial. Over the past two decades, the Federal Highway Administration and state transportation agencies have increasingly recognized the importance of the effects of transportation on the natural environment. This report provides guidance on ways to reconcile the different goals of road development and environmental conservation. It identifies the ecological effects of roads that can be evaluated in the planning, design, construction, and maintenance of roads and offers several recommendations to help better understand and manage ecological impacts of paved roads.Table of ContentsFront MatterSummary1 Introduction2 History and Status of the U.S. Road System3 Effects of Roads on Ecological Condiditons4 Ameliorating the Effects of Roads5 Legal Context for Planning and Policy6 Planning and Assessment7 Integrating Obstacles and Opportunities8 Conclusions and RecommendationsReferencesAppendix A: Biographical Information on Committee MembersAppendix B: Spatial Scale of Road Effects on Ecological Conditions: Annotated BibliographyAppendix C: Congressional Declaration of National Environmental Policy, National Environmental Policy Act of 1969