SAFE PASSAGES:
RESEARCH EXPERIENCE FOR UNDERGRADUATES PROGRAM

Introduction:

Design and operation of the nation’s surface transportation system is moving well beyond its original objective of providing citizens with safe and efficient passage. While maintaining this basic focus, there are ever increasing efforts to also consider the safe passage of the wildlife and aquatic organisms whose habitats the system traverses. The Safe Passages REU site will research this complex issue of simultaneously providing for safe passage of humans, wildlife, and aquatic organisms through rural transportation corridors. A 90 mile stretch of U.S. Highway 191 near MSU, which follows pristine mountain waterways and traverses part of Yellowstone National Park, will provide an ideal field site for students to pursue nationally replicable solutions to these issues. The REU site is hosted by the Western Transportation Institute (WTI) at Montana State University (MSU), which has established a national reputation for cutting edge interdisciplinary research on rural transportation safety, operations, and system impacts on the natural environment. Experienced WTI research staff and faculty will mentor a diverse group of eight undergraduate students each summer from all fields of engineering, as well as ecology, biology, and the environmental sciences. In addition to their project involvement, the students’ REU experience will be enriched by research seminars, training workshops, and similar educational activities over the course of the 10 week program.

Program Dates:      June 2 – August 8, 2008
                                 Ten-week summer program

Location:                  Montana State University
                                 Bozeman, Montana

Stipend:                   $4,500 (plus an additional weekly food stipend)

Travel:                   Travel reimbursement up to $900 for travel costs to MSU 

Housing:                Program covers all on-campus housing expenses for participants

Eligibility:          Undergraduates from all fields of engineering, ecology, biology, environmental sciences, and related fields are invited to apply.  Applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents.

Application Deadline:   April 30, 2008

Program Description:

Safe Passages REU research will seek solutions for improving motorist safety, safe wildlife and fish passage across the roadway and environmental protection. The REU program will actively foster an interdisciplinary team environment in order to attain innovative solutions to problems associated with rural two-lane highways traversing environmentally sensitive regions.

The Safe Passages REU program will center around three interdisciplinary topic areas:

1. Water and Fish Passage

There is a need to better understand the effects of road crossings on all aquatic organisms, and to evaluate present design, construction and maintenance practices.  Research in this area will focus on how roads impact fisheries, water quality, wetlands, habitat connectivity, exotic species invasions, and subsurface hydrology as well as on standards for best mitigation methods for particular species or habitats.

2. Habitat Connectivity and Wildlife Movement

Habitat fragmentation, animal aversion or attraction to roadways, and wildlife-vehicle collisions (WVCs) can all have detrimental effects on wildlife populations.  REU research in this area will focus on road impacts on habitat connectivity and wildlife movements as well as on the ever evolving strategies that are being employed to mitigate these impacts.

3. Public Safety and Mobility

Rural highways provide valuable conduits for human movement. They also pose a variety of formidable challenges in ensuring the safety of the motorists that use them.  Rural highways pose special challenges related to roadway alignment issues (relatively sharp horizontal and vertical curves), limited sight distances, dangerous weather conditions, relatively long incident response times (i.e., due to distances that must be traveled), and less than optimum communications (i.e., limited or no cell phone or radio communications).  REU research in this area will focus on the complex issues related to public safety and mobility along U.S. 191 as a model for developing integrated solutions to improve safe human passage along rural highways nationwide, while maintaining ecosystem integrity and fiscal affordability.

The Laboratory:

All REU research will center around U.S. Highway 191 between Bozeman and West Yellowstone.  U.S. 191 provides an excellent test bed for research in the three focus areas as it follows the Gallatin River, is located within the boundaries of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, and is subject to inclement weather, high traffic volumes, and worrisome accident rates.  As a bonus, students will have the opportunity to conduct field work and research in one of the most beautiful outdoor laboratories available.   

To download an application, click here:  APPLICATION FORM

Priority deadline for applications is April 30, 2008.

For additional information, contact:
Susan Gallagher
Education Program Coordinator
Western Transportation Institute
Montana State University
PO Box 174250
Bozeman , MT 59717-4250

Phone:  (406)994-6559
Email:  sgallagher at coe.montana.edu