Mitigating Damage to ITS Assets from Rodents and other Critters

State departments of transportation (DOTs) with intelligent transportation systems (ITS) field equipment encounter issues with rodents and other unwanted critters entering cabinets and shelters, accessing fiber and other ITS equipment, and causing damage. It is costly to repair or replace ITS assets when damage occurs. Damage can also create operational disruptions and outages. Further, agencies need to consider whether to repair damage or take measures to deter rodents and other critters. This project is researching approaches for mitigating damage to ITS assets from rodents and other unwanted critters. The project will complete an online search and a State DOT survey to investigate various mitigation strategies to document effectiveness, cost of the strategy versus cost to repair damage, and ability to access ITS assets after the strategy is installed or deployed. The project will also gather agency construction drawings and specifications for effective strategies.