July 26, 1999
John Porcari, Secretary
Maryland Department of Transportation
P.O. Box 8755
Baltimore, MD 21240
REF: DOT Letter of February 16, 1999 to MAGIC
Dear Secretary Porcari:
In our previous letters to you, MAGIC asked that a formal program be initiated by the Department of Transportation to collect statistics on wildlife road kill in Maryland. Although this has not been accomplished, Fran McGrath has provided MAGIC with data from State Highway maintenance supervisors on highway locations in Maryland that experience high wildlife mortality. We appreciate his work in gathering this information, and would like to explore the possibility of providing some solutions.
MAGIC has collected extensive data coming from other states, and it appears wildlife passages are valuable if designed correctly. The best solutions seem to be highway bridges that allow passage of animals beneath them. If these bridges are sufficiently wide, and provide a clear view of the opposite side, wildlife will readily use them. Placement of bridges are important, as is fencing along the highway to funnel wildlife toward these crossings. Stream valleys seem to be the best place for wildlife crossings as many animals naturally use stream valleys for their travels.
SHA highway maintenance engineers have identified the following areas as experiencing a high rate of wildlife/automobile collisions:
Allegany County:
I-68 Westbound at Breakneck Road (Martins Mountain) (mp 52)
I-68 Westbound at Shaffer Bridge over I-68 (Polish Mountain) (mp 57)
Baltimore County:
I-695 at Providence Rd. (mp 22.38)
US 1 from Sunshine Ave. to Harford Co. Line (mp 24.59 to 26.52)
MD 147 from Sunshine Ave. to the Harford Co. Line ( mp 9.22 to 10.69)
Caroline County:
MD 404-entire length (0.00-17.37)
Carroll County:
MD 194 from Crouse Mill Rd. to PA Line (mp 5.62 to 11.46)
MD 31 from New Windsor Rd. to MD 140 (mp 4.08 to 10.12)
MD 140 from West Main Street to the Roundabout (mp 11.31 to 20.05)
Cecil County:
MD 213 (from mp 0.18 to .58 )(vicinity of Sassafras River)
MD 273 from MD 213 to Appleton Rd. (mp 12.38 to 15.31.)
Charles County:
MD 6 from St. Mary's Co. Line to the Potomac River (mp 37.83 to 0.00)
US 301 from Pr. George's Co. Line to the Nice Bridge (mp 26.27 to 1.28)
MD 5 from US 301 to the St. Mary's Co. Line (mp 12.25-0.00)
St. Mary's MD 5 from MD 242 to MD 238 (mp 33.67 to 35.14)
MD 234 From MD 238 to Charles Co. Line (mp 4.92 to 0.00)
MD 5 from MD 244 to MD 249 (mp 24.71 to 18.65)
Kent County:
MD 20 (from mp 4.4 to 5.4) (vicinity of Shipyard Creek)
MD 290 (mp 3.5 to 4.5) (north of MD 444)
Montgomery County:
I-270 from MD 109 to MD 121 (mp 22.29-18.43)
I-270 from MD 124 to Shady Grove Rd. (mp 11.47-8.39)
I-370 from MD 355 to Shady Grove Rd. (mp 1.63 to 2.86)
Talbot County:
MD 33 (from mp 3.38 to 1.78) (Punch Point Rd. is the nearest county road)
US 50 (from mp 4.55 to 3.15) (nearest X road is Skipton Landing Road)
MAGIC would appreciate your assigning highway engineers to look at these locations specifically to make recommendations on road improvements that might protect wildlife while improving safety for the traveling public. If MAGIC, or our Alliance Partners, can assist in those efforts, we would be happy to do so. We look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Robert DeGroot
President, MAGIC
The following Alliance Partners agree with and support this letter:
Anacostia Watershed Society
Chesapeake Wildlife Heritage
Friends of Northwest Branch
Maryland Native Plant Society
South Mountain Heritage Society
The Humane Society of the US
Wildlife Land Trust