Km Of Highway Research Articles

The local impacts of building a large motorway network: Urban growth, suburbanisation, and agglomeration

Portugal moved from having less than 200 km of motorways in the early 1980s to having the fourth highest motorway density relative to population in the European Union in 2019. This paper studies the relationship between the development of the Portuguese motorway network between 1981 and 2011 and the growth of population and employment at the local level. We address the endogeneity of the geography of motorways using instrumental variables based on a map of dirt roads from the late 18th century and the main roads of a 1945 road plan. Our findings suggest that, on average, motorways caused large increases in population – and even larger increases in employment – in the municipalities that received them. We also find that motorways contributed to suburbanisation, as the impact of motorways on population growth (but not on employment growth) is stronger in suburban municipalities. Another important nonlinearity is that motorways appear to have influenced urban agglomeration dynamics, as their effect on the growth of the local population between 1981 and 2011 depends on the size of the local population in 1970.

ВЛИЯНИЕ СПЕКТРАЛЬНОЙ ПЛОТНОСТИ ОРДИНАТ МИКРОПРОФИЛЯ АВТОМОБИЛЬНОЙ ДОРОГИ НА РЕЗУЛЬТАТЫ ДИАГНОСТИЧЕСКОГО ОБСЛЕДОВАНИЯ

The article analyzes data on the geometric parameters of elements, evenness (according to the international indicator of evenness IRI) and the length of more than 6 thousand km of highways of regional and federal values of various categories and types of pavement obtained by the results of a special survey by a mobile road laboratory. The variation of the error value of the length of the highway depending on the indicator of the longitudinal flatness of the highway is investigated. The equations describing the nature of the change in the error of the length of the traveled path with a change in the indicator of the evenness of highways are obtained.

Conducting experimental studies of cement concrete pavement joints

To increase the life of roads in our Republic, several reforms are being carried out to operate roads with high strength and efficiently use available materials. Experience in constructing cement concrete roads shows that, over time, elevations of several millimeters can form between the slabs. The formation of disturbances hurts the longitudinal plane of the carriageway. It increases the driving resistance, makes the movement of vehicles uncomfortable, and causes the vehicles to oscillate. This increases the load on the roadway. Therefore, the study and development of recommendations for forming a shift between cement concrete paving slabs are relevant today. A study of negative changes (formation of steps) of the cement concrete pavement from dry-hot climatic conditions and over time in longitudinal, transverse compression, transverse expansion, floating, false, and working seams is presented. The results were obtained on 315320 km of highway A 380 “Guzor-Bukhara-Nukus-Beyneu” by measuring the heights and subsidence of the plates of transverse expansion joints with an electronic caliper and protractor. Using a mobile laboratory machine, “Ford Terrassa”, the longitudinal smoothness of the coating of this object was determined, and the results were obtained. Then a correlation plot of the effect of variation between plates (steps) on the smoothness of the coating (IRI) was plotted.

Marche ou Morra: herpetofauna atropelada ao longo da rodovia BR-040, uma antiga estrada na Mata Atlântica do Sudeste do Brasil

Abstract The construction of highways is responsible for access to previously protected areas, resulting in changes in landscape and dynamics of the animal populations that live in these areas. These enterprises are the major responsible for the mortality of wild animals, surpassing hunting and even the trafficking of animals. The objective of this study was to make a list that reflects the diversity of amphibians and reptile’s road-killed along the BR-040, a highway that crosses the threaten lowland Atlantic Forest in Southeastern region of Brazil, including the use of microhabitats, lifestyle, activity pattern, reproductive cycles, and possible rare or endangered species. The study area consists of 180,4 km of highways. Monitoring began in 2006 and continues to the present day. A total of 1,410 individuals from 60 species were recorded in this study. The reptiles were more frequent in number of individuals and species. The commonest species recorded were Crotalus durissus and Dipsas mikanii. We have registered a single endangered species: Ranacephala hogei. The highest rates of road-kill were recorded during the wet season. Road-kills of fauna is a major threat to species, studies are of great importance to define plans that seek to mitigate the effects generated by these enterprises.

Identifying Causes of Traffic Crashes Associated with Driver Behavior Using Supervised Machine Learning Methods: Case of Highway 15 in Saudi Arabia

Identifying the causes of road traffic crashes (RTCs) and contributing factors is of utmost importance for developing sustainable road network plans and urban transport management. Driver-related factors are the leading causes of RTCs, and speed is claimed to be a major contributor to crash occurrences. The results reported in the literature are mixed regarding speed-crash occurrence causality on rural and urban roads. Even though recent studies shed some light on factors and the direction of effects, knowledge is still insufficient to allow for specific quantifications. Thus, this paper aimed to contribute to the analysis of speed-crash occurrence causality by identifying the road features and traffic flow parameters leading to RTCs associated with driver errors along an access-controlled major highway (761.6 km of Highway 15 between Taif and Medina) in Saudi Arabia. Binomial logistic regression (BNLOGREG) was employed to predict the probability of RTCs associated with driver errors (p < 0.001), and its results were compared with other supervised machine learning (ML) models, such as random forest (RF) and k-nearest neighbor (kNN) to search for more accurate predictions. The highest classification accuracy (CA) yielded by RF and BNLOGREG was 0.787, compared to kNN’s 0.750. Moreover, RF resulted in the largest area under the ROC (a receiver operating characteristic) curve (AUC for RF = 0.712, BLOGREG = 0.608, and kNN = 0.643). As a result, increases in the number of lanes (NL) and daily average speed of traffic flow (ASF) decreased the probability of driver error-related crashes. Conversely, an increase in annual average daily traffic (AADT) and the availability of straight and horizontal curve sections increased the probability of driver-related RTCs. The findings support previous studies in similar study contexts that looked at speed dispersion in crash occurrence and severity but disagreed with others that looked at absolute speed at individual vehicle or road segment levels. Thus, the paper contributes to insufficient knowledge of the factors in crash occurrences associated with driver errors on major roads within the context of this case study. Finally, crash prevention and mitigation strategies were recommended regarding the factors involved in RTCs and should be implemented when and where they are needed.

Observations on the Fall Movements of Isabella Moth Larvae (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Arctiinae) in Northwest Missouri

Despite their visibility, abundance, and widespread distribution, the movements of Isabella moth larvae (a.k.a “woolly worms:” Pyrrharctia isabella (J.E. Smith); Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Arctiinae) have been poorly studied. We observed these larvae to assess the relationship between their movement and local environmental conditions. Twice each day for 83 d, nearly 52 km of highway were observed in northwest Missouri. A total of 264 larvae were encountered during 664 total visits to four road sections, peaking in the first week of October. Analyses revealed increased larva abundance (n ≥ 159 road-section visits) associated with temperature, wind speed, pale pavement tint, and afternoon time-of-day. The best overall model to explain larval movement patterns, based on 163 visits and all measured conditions, incorporated temperature, north wind speed, west wind speed, and humidity (P = 0.015), but no other factors. In addition, larvae showed a significant tendency to travel in the same direction as the wind, and to travel eastward in the afternoons. These observations provide insights into the fall movements of a common larva, and provide directions for future research.

Evaluating feasibility of a novel mobile emergency medical dispatch tool for lay first responder prehospital response coordination in Sierra Leone: A simulation-based study

IntroductionThe global injury burden, driven by road traffic injuries, disproportionately affects low- and middle-income countries, which lack robust emergency medical services (EMS) to address injury. The WHO recommends training lay first responders (LFRs) as the first step toward formal EMS development. Emergency medical dispatch (EMD) systems are the recognized next step but whether small groups of LFRs equipped with mobile dispatch infrastructure can efficiently respond to geographically-dispersed emergencies in a timely fashion and the quality of prehospital care provided is unknown. Materials and methodsWe piloted an EMD system utilizing a mobile phone application in Sierra Leone. Ten LFRs were randomly selected from a pool of 61 highly-active LFRs trained in 2019 and recruited to participate in an emergency simulation-based study. Ten simulation scenarios were created matching proportions of injury conditions across 1,850 previous incidents (June-December 2019). Fifty total simulations were launched in randomized order over 3 months, randomized along 10 km of highway in Makeni. Replicating real-world conditions, highly-active LFR participants were blinded to randomized dispatch timing/scenario to assess response time and skill performance under direct observation with a checklist using standardized patient actors. We used novel cost data tracked during EMD pilot implementation to inform the calculation of a new cost-effectiveness ratio ($USD cost per disability-adjusted life year averted (DALY)) for LFR programs equipped with dispatch, following WHOCHOICE guidelines, which state cost-effectiveness ratios less than gross domestic product (GDP) per capita are considered “very cost-effective.” ResultsMedian total response interval (notification to arrival) was 5 min 39 s (IQR:0:03:51, 0:09:18). LFRs initially trained with a 5-hour curriculum and refresher training provide high-quality prehospital care during simulated emergencies. Median first aid skill checklist completion was 89% (IQR: 78%, 90%). Cost-effectiveness equals $179.02USD per DALY averted per 100,000 people, less than Sierra Leonean GDP per capita ($484.52USD). ConclusionLFRs equipped with mobile dispatch demonstrate appropriate response times and effective basic initial management of simulated emergencies. Training smaller cohorts of highly-active LFRs equipped with mobile dispatch appears highly cost-effective and may be a feasible model to facilitate efficient dispatch to expand emergency coverage while conserving valuable training resources in resource-limited settings.

Permafrost degradation induced thaw settlement susceptibility research and potential risk analysis in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

With climate warming, numerous thaw settlements have occurred in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP), but their possible distributions and potential risks are still poorly understood. The present study tends to come up with the first hazard data-driven thaw settlement susceptibility map for the QTP, and identify hazard-prone regions for settlement population, main infrastructures, and soil organic carbon (SOC). A well reliable susceptibility map was developed based on 111,510 thaw settlement sites and 12 conditioning factors using random forest (RF) model, logistic regression-based gradient boosting decision tree (GBDT-LR) model, and frequency ratio (FR) model. We found that nearly 120 thousand people, 1653 km of highway, 650 km of railway, and 3.13 Pg of the SOC were located in high and very high susceptible regions, which occupied 34.60% of the permafrost domain in the QTP. Alarmingly, the situation of Qinghai-Tibet Highway (QTH) and Qinghai-Tibet Railway (QTR) in permafrost regions seems more serious, more than 60% of them were located in high and very high susceptible regions. Our results revealed that slope aspect, volume ice content, and active layer thickness contributed significantly to the occurrence of thaw settlement. Compared with similar studies, this research performed better in model construction and accuracy. The results can provide references for decision maker in eco-environment protection and hazard risk management.

Analyzing the Societal Cost of Electric Roads Compared to Batteries and Oil for All Forms of Road Transport

This article is designed to demonstrate that electric roads are an affordable way to electrify all forms of road transport—not only cars, but also buses and trucks. Electric roads represent a way to power electric vehicles without relying solely on batteries. The idea is that when an electric vehicle reaches an electric road, it stops using power from the battery and instead uses power directly from the road itself. The primary challenge for electric vehicles is still the perception of a compromised quality of life in owning an electric vehicle due to a limited range compared with petrol and diesel cars, today. This paper introduces a new technology, currently experiencing rapid development, that can not only overcome range anxiety but make electric vehicles better, in terms of range, than petrol and diesel cars today. Furthermore, not only can this research help to arrange this, but it can also help, for the first time, to cost-effectively electrify heavy-duty transport, such as trucks and buses, which would be a huge breakthrough in terms of sustainability, as it is very important to start supplying electricity to heavy-duty vehicles. The case study provides a very hypothetical example of a trip with and without an electric road, covering a total of 26,011 km of highways and main roads. The results indicate that building electric roads is cheaper than many other alternatives. If a large battery is replaced with a smaller battery for each new vehicle sold, after 3 years, enough savings will be made to electrify all highways and main roads in Turkey. This paper can help transport operators and policymakers develop strategies to accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles by appropriately implementing electric road infrastructure.

Development of Models for Express Analysis of Road Safety

Results of a study of an actual scientific and technical problem of determining the road safety level on road sections are presented in the paper. The aim of the study is to develop an express method for assessing road safety based on improving the method of the final accident rate by reducing the partial accident rate with the required accuracy of determining the safety level on public roads. The formalization of the relationship between the parameters of road traffic conditions has been carried out to study the level of safety on highways. Latent factors of the parameters of traffic conditions have been obtained on the basis of reduction of their aggregate by the method of principal components, taking into account the relationship of partial accident rates. This condition has allowed to develop analytical models for determining road safety for implementation in the practice of conducting a road safety audit. A method for identifying hazardous areas on highways has been proposed in the paper. It includes 11 parameters of road conditions out of 18 partial accident rates proposed in the prototype and regulatory documents of Ukraine. The adequacy of the model is determined by deviation values of the obtained data according to the prototype model from the values of the relative accident rate, which were 3.22 and 18.61, respectively. The proposed model reduces the deviation value by six times and affects the accuracy of determining the safety level. Experimental studies have been conducted on 79 km of highways (on 385 sectors with constant values of traffic conditions parameters). The results of a comparative analysis of the safety level for the prototype model and the developed model have been identical and shown a decrease in time and labor costs by 1.6 times without loss of accuracy. Thus, the developed methodology is recommended to be applied for determining the potential danger of road sections during an express analysis of the road safety or when conducting a safety audit at various stages of the road life cycle.

New ideas for steel‐concrete composite bridges overpassing highways – VFT‐RS technology

AbstractRoads overpassing highways or speedways are rather a common case, as such bridges occur in average every 2 km of highways in densely populated areas. Due to the high number and similar boundary conditions, the design and realization tends to be standardized and repetitive. The total length ranges mostly between 40 and 55 m, whereas the construction height is a limiting factor since minimum clearance heights must be guaranteed both for safety as well as for driving comfort. Due to these reasons, highway overpasses have been a field of application where steel‐framed composite decks have proven their efficiency for this task.Starting from Germany, the VFT technology (prefabricated composite beam) has spread in several European countries in the last decades as further development of the standard steel‐concrete composite solution. Its configuration fits perfectly to integral frame bridges built over existing infrastructure with the scope to minimize the traffic disturbance.In this paper a further step is proposed: the VFT‐RS technology. The change consists in using standard rolled sections by adapting them into the integral frame bridge configuration, further enhancing the structural efficiency with the benefits of high‐steel strength. The possibility of weathering steel or hot‐dip galvanization create the unique offer of a maintenance‐free solution.

CУЧАСНЕ БУДІВНИЦТВО І РЕМОНТ ДОРІГ У ЛЬВІВСЬКІЙ ОБЛАСТІ ЯК ЧИННИК РОЗВИТКУ ТУРИЗМУ

In the process of overcoming the consequences of COVID-19 pandemic in Ukraine and in the whole world, we should expect streaming tourists flow retrieval and for some time more prioritised will be domestic tourism. It will greatly contribute acceleration of tourism restorationand improvement of tourist’s condition and concomitant infrastructure, including highways. This article develops researches about influence of transport infrastructure on tourism development in Ukraine. The subject of a research is Lviv district. It is one of the most attractivedistricts in Ukraine. The purpose of research is to analyse modern construction and reconditio-ning of the highways in Lviv district in context of promising development of tourism in the region. The basis of information for article was statistical materials, «Ukravtodor» data and literary sources. Method of literature, statistical and cartographic analysis was used.From the beginning of 2015, it was found that the amount of construction and reconditioning of the highways for period from 2015 to 2020 has been increased, in general, 685 km of highways were repaired. Because of that transport accessibility to some famous tourists places and resorts such as: Zolochyv, Nemyriv, Skole, Slavsk, Truskavets etc. significantly had been increased. Same improvement we may observe for transport joining Lviv district with others districts of Ukraine such as Zakarpattya (Uzgorod, Mukacheve, mountain and plain resorts), Ivano-Frankivsk (Bukovel resort, Ivano-Frankivsk, Rogatyn, Yaremche), Ternopil district (regional centre), also there is improvement of highways conditions near the board of Republic of Poland. The finances for reconstructions emerged after governments experiment in 2015 of financing transport infrastructure from unscheduled customer revenues, state program «The great reconstruction» in 2020 as well as the credit of Republic of Poland for repair if boarder roads. The main task in 2021 is to start construct northern bypass way around Lviv. All those measures must significantly accelerate first of all domestic tourism in Western Ukraine.Keywords: tourism, resorts, highways reconstruction, region, transport infrastructure, financing, accessibility.

A framework to detect horizontal curves and assess their geometric properties from remotely sensed point clouds

ABSTRACT Maintaining an up-to-date repository of horizontal curve attributes is extremely important due to the role curves play in the safe operation of highways. Such attributes are typically collected using traditional surveying techniques which have been shown to be time-consuming, traffic disruptive, and potentially unsafe methods. This burden is further aggravated when the data collection is required on a large highway network across North America. To overcome this burden, this paper proposes a framework for network-level detection and extraction of horizontal curve elements from Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) data in a fully automated manner. The proposed technique was validated and then tested on LiDAR data collected on 242 km of highways in Alberta, Canada. The algorithm was successful in detecting all curves on the test highways and estimated their attributes with accuracies ranging from 96% to 100% demonstrating the robustness of the extraction method and the feasibility of performing the extraction on such a large scale. The proposed method is an alternative approach that could help transportation agencies maintain an updated inventory of horizontal alignment information on a large-scale.

PM emissions from heavy-duty trucks and their impacts on human health

Abstract The Brazilian transport system is based on the use of highways and road heavy-duty trucks are the main type of vehicle to perform this activity. There are more than 1 million km of highways in the country and the search for alternative technologies to reduce emissions from the transport industry is increasing. The Blue Corridor research started to replace heavy-duty vehicles fueled by conventional diesel to liquefied natural gas (LNG) and its effect on pollutant emissions reductions. In this context, this paper aims at evaluating the atmospheric dispersion of particulate matter (PM) from road heavy-duty trucks in 12 cities in the Sao Paulo State, assessing the impacts of the replacement of full fleet powered by diesel to LNG and the effects on the health of the local population. The model AERMOD was used to simulate the dispersion of PM produced by heavy-duty vehicles fuel combustion and the methodology suggested by the World Health Organization (WHO) was used to analyze the number of deaths attributed to the PM emitted. Results showed some municipalities with high PM concentrations, which exceeded the limits suggested by WHO. In terms of health issues, cardiovascular diseases in a population older than 30 years were the main cause of death from PM emissions. When it comes to fuel replacement, LNG helps to reduce PM emissions, but considering this reduction alone is not sufficient to avoid attributable deaths.

A Model-Based Flood Hazard Mapping on the Southern Slope of Himalaya

Originating from the southern slope of Himalaya, the Karnali River poses a high flood risk at downstream regions during the monsoon season (June to September). This paper presents comprehensive hazard mapping and risk assessments in the downstream region of the Karnali River basin for different return-period floods, with the aid of the HEC-RAS (Hydrologic Engineering Center’s River Analysis System). The assessment was conducted on a ~38 km segment of the Karnali River from Chisapani to the Nepal–India border. To perform hydrodynamic simulations, a long-term time series of instantaneous peak discharge records from the Chisapani gauging station was collected. Flooding conditions representing 2-, 5-, 10-, 50-, 100-, 200-, and 1000-year return periods (YRPs) were determined using Gumbel’s distribution. With an estimated peak discharge of up to 29,910 m3/s and the flood depths up to 23 m in the 1000-YRP, the area vulnerable to flooding in the study domain extends into regions on both the east and west banks of the Karnali River. Such flooding in agricultural land poses a high risk to food security, which directly impacts on residents’ livelihoods. Furthermore, the simulated flood in 2014 (equivalent to a 100-YRP) showed a high level of impact on physical infrastructure, affecting 51 schools, 14 health facilities, 2 bus-stops, and an airport. A total of 132 km of rural–urban roads and 22 km of highways were inundated during the flood. In summary, this study can support in future planning and decision-making for improved water resources management and development of flood control plans on the southern slope of Himalaya.

A proposal of project management practices in public institutions through a comparative analyses of critical path method and critical chain

The term “Project Management Practice” is construed in several ways. For this research, we comply with the project management use of tools and techniques on project’s time and cost (Crawford 2005; Olateju et al. 2011; Abassi and Al-Mharmah 2000). Project scheduling still is based on the traditional methods of critical path method (CPM) and Program Evaluation and Review Technique for the majority of contractors and public institutions. The aim of this work is to critically highlight the reasons under which the use of the Critical Chain Project Management (CCPM) is indispensable for scheduling and monitoring public works by public institutions in Greece. In particular, the conclusions of this study are very important for public institutions that don’t implement modern project management practices, tools and techniques. The methodology is exemplified by the analysis of 27 infrastructure projects. The contracts include 300 km of motorway, 46 km of road tunnels and 20 km of bridges constructed for the Egnatia Motorway in Northern Greece from 2002 to 2012. The results confirms that CCPM can perform better than the traditional method of CPM by achieving less construction time combined with accurate resource levelling in the early stages. The aforementioned procedure results in reduced indirect costs due to project's time reduction and reduced direct costs due to better resource allocation (ensuring “on time” availability of resources). As a conclusion, better financial planning is ensured for both the contracting parties i.e. the contractors and the public institutions. It should be noted that in literature the case studies are rare with very small sample size.

Favourability for the presence of wild rabbit warrens in motorway verges: Implications for the spread of a native agricultural pest species

Abstract Pest species cause significant ecological, social and economic impacts, and programs to control them usually target specific landscape features when pests use these to disperse. Roads or railways are often used by pest species as dispersal corridors, but little is known about the specific characteristics of these human infrastructures that facilitate pest species dispersal. This is particularly evident in the case of native agricultural vertebrate pests like the European wild rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) in the Iberian Peninsula (IP). Rabbit damage to agricultural production in IP has increased notably in recent years. This study uses a ‘favourability function’ to model the extent to which macroecological favourable conditions for rabbits and different fine-scale variables, including environmental, anthropogenic and agricultural factors, favour the presence of rabbit warrens on the verges of a motorway network in southern IP. For this purpose, we collected rabbit warren locations during car transects using CyberTraker 3.0 installed in a pad along 787 km of motorways. Our results revealed that rabbit warren distribution was widespread along the verges. Rabbit warren presence correlated positively with the presence of olive groves and with macroecological favourable conditions for rabbits. Our results provide strong evidence that rabbits use motorway verges, which are likely to act as dispersal corridors across landscapes. Additionally, our innovative approach, based on a rabbit warren index, the favourability function and a combination of local and macroecological predictors, could be used in many other areas where rabbits cause crop damage to make fine-scale predictions of high risk stretches and, therefore, where to apply mitigation measures.

Optimization of the outlet portal of Heybat Sultan twin tunnels based on the value engineering methodology

Due to uncertainties in determining the geotechnical parameters, it is inevitable to change the supporting system and excavation method during the tunnel construction projects. Such changes will in many cases lead to an increase in the foreseen time and cost. Since the beginning of the 1960s, value engineering (V.E.) was raised based on three principles of safety, cost optimization and sustainable design. Iraqi Kurdistan has had an increasing trend in design and implementation of development projects since 2008, but high safety factors considered to compensate for uncertainties in geotechnical parameters has imposed high construction costs to these projects. The design of more than 70 km of tunnels, 212 dams and more than 500 km of highways under construction in this region necessitates performing applicable case studies on the implementation of V.E. in these development projects. The Heybat Sultan twin tunnels project is being constructed as a part of the Erbil–Koya–Sulaymaniyah highway in Iraqi Kurdistan. Preliminary studies showed that the outlet portals of these tunnels had been designed with a high factor of safety. Hence, the decision was made to make changes based on V.E. principles prior to the commencement of the excavations and at the time of site mobilization. For this purpose, the most optimal method statement was selected for the outlet portal, and then the slope stability was evaluated using numerical analysis. By implementing the optimized design, the factor of safety was increased from 1.27 to 2.48 and the corresponding construction costs was decreased for 2.4 million USD compared to the original plan.

Road Kill of Snakes on a Highway in an Orinoco Ecosystem: Landscape Factors and Species Traits Related to Their Mortality

We sampled the snake fauna in 13 landscapes along 80 km of highway and in the adjacent vegetation cover in the Colombian Llanos. We registered 119 snakes belonging to 33 species. Traffic levels significantly influenced rates of snake road kill, while adjacent vegetation cover, rainfall seasonality, and landscape structure and composition did not. We classified the species into seven ecological groups based upon foraging strategy, body length, and habitat preferences. Although most of the road-killed species had an active foraging strategy, all of the ecological groups contained some species that were killed on the highway, as well as some species that inhabited adjacent vegetation cover but that were not detected on the highway. The different ecological groups were not associated with different landscape characteristics. Six of the 13 landscapes that presented the lowest species richness of road-killed species had a different ecological group represented by each of the species documented as road kills. Thus, considering the ecological group that a species belongs to provides a complementary analytical approach that permits a fuller understanding of the ecological effects of roads on the functional role of the species in the ecosystem. We recommend focusing mitigation measures on highway sectors with the greater vehicular flow, employing both preventive measures such as posting driver advisories and installing speed radars and conducting environmental education programs to raise awareness of local drivers.

Lane Endpoint Detection and Position Accuracy Evaluation for Sensor Fusion-Based Vehicle Localization on Highways.

Landmark-based vehicle localization is a key component of both autonomous driving and advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS). Previously used landmarks in highways such as lane markings lack information on longitudinal positions. To address this problem, lane endpoints can be used as landmarks. This paper proposes two essential components when using lane endpoints as landmarks: lane endpoint detection and its accuracy evaluation. First, it proposes a method to efficiently detect lane endpoints using a monocular forward-looking camera, which is the most widely installed perception sensor. Lane endpoints are detected with a small amount of computation based on the following steps: lane detection, lane endpoint candidate generation, and lane endpoint candidate verification. Second, it proposes a method to reliably measure the position accuracy of the lane endpoints detected from images taken while the camera is moving at high speed. A camera is installed with a mobile mapping system (MMS) in a vehicle, and the position accuracy of the lane endpoints detected by the camera is measured by comparing their positions with ground truths obtained by the MMS. In the experiment, the proposed methods were evaluated and compared with previous methods based on a dataset acquired while driving on 80 km of highway in both daytime and nighttime.