Peninsula stretch of I-280 worst in state for roadkill

A stretch of Interstate 280 between San Bruno and Cupertino on the Peninsula has been rated the worst place in California for vehicle collisions with wildlife, according to a new report from researchers at UC Davis.

For the past five years, that stretch of roadway has seen the most — and the costliest — wildlife-vehicle collisions in the state, the report found.

Five of the top 20 most expensive 1-mile segments of highway for wildlife collisions in California are on Interstate 280: Roadkill incidents on 31 miles of the highway cost around $5.8 million annually, or nearly $188,000 per mile every year.

Wildlife-related crashes can also lead to highway deaths and severe injuries.

California Highway Patrol reported more than 44,000 wildlife collisions involving large mammals across the state between 2016 and 2020, according to the report.

Data from State Farm Insurance, cited by the report, estimated there are around 22,000 claims per year for collisions with deer in the state alone. Underreporting could mean that number is vastly higher.

In addition to mammals, tinier creatures like Pacific newts are also involved in vehicle collisions. The dwindling population of Pacific newts is at risk of local extinction, as 4,000 to 5,000 of them are killed each winter and spring when crossing Alma Bridge Road in Los Gatos.

In an effort to aid the loss of wildlife, UC Davis researchers urged California legislators to pass a bill that, “protects wildlife movement by requiring retrofit of existing and proposed new or expanded infrastructure to allow wildlife passage.”

UC Davis Road Ecology Center is assisting Caltrans in developing mitigation to protect drivers and wildlife populations.

The report stated that measures including building fencing and overpasses or underpasses along priority highways to allow the safe passage of wildlife and reducing speed limits in protected wildlife habitat are among the most effective for protecting animals and drivers.