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Brampton Road Ecology Program

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Brampton's roads cross wetlands, rivers, and woodlands that wildlife depend on to survive. Endorsed by City Council in 2024, the Brampton Road Ecology Program helps identify where roads pose risks to wildlife and drivers and applies practical, evidence-based solutions to reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions while maintaining connections between natural areas.

This work supports the City's long-term approach to conserving, restoring, and connecting Brampton's natural systems, in​ alignment with the Natural Heritage and Environmental Management Strategy.

What is road ecology, and why is it important?

Road ecology looks at how roads affect wildlife and natural systems and how those impacts can be reduced through better planning, ​design, upgrades, and monitoring.

Roads can:

  • Break up habitat and isolate wildlife populations
  • Disrupt movement between forests, wetlands, and waterways
  • Increase wildlife mortality through vehicle collisions
  • Create safety risks and costs for drivers and emergency services​​​
An image showing a group of people walking at the side of a road
An image showing a group of people walking at the side of a road

Wildlife-Vehicle Collision​ Facts

Road impacts are significant even when collisions are under-reported for smaller species.

  • In Ontario, about 14,000 wildlife collisions are reported each year for large animals, representing ~10% of vehicle accidents (reported collisions for large wildlife; smaller species are harder to track).
  • Amphibians and reptiles are among the most at-risk wildlife groups from roads, because they move slowly, migrate seasonally between wetlands and forests, and often use road surfaces for basking—making them especially vulnerable to vehicle collisions. (Toronto and Region Conservation Authority, Road Ecology & Wildlife Connectivity)​

How we're improving road safety for wildlife

  • Monitoring helps the City understand what's happening on the ground and whether solutions are working over time.
  • Long-term research shows that monitoring is essential to improving road safety for wildlife and adap​ting solutions as conditions change.
  • We work with TRCA and community volunteers to monitor Heart Lake Road and Donnelly East Park areas

Wildlife-vehicle collisions are most likely where roads cross natural movement routes. The City works with partners to id​entify these locations using mapping, data, and field observations, and focuses solutions where they will have the greatest safety benefit.

What we're doing:

  • Installing wildlife fencing to guide animals to safer crossings and new Eco passages.
  • Using roadside management to improve visibility and habitat function
  • Installing wildlife warning signs, including flashing lights in high-risk areas, to alert drivers

Where we're working:

  • Loafer's Lake - Wildlife fencing and an 1 eco-passage
  • Donnelly East Park / Sandalwood Road - Wildlife exclusion fencing
  • Heart Lake Road - Fencing, 2 eco-passages, 1 box culvert, wildlife warning signage, and speed-reduction measures

As Brampton grows, the City plans roads and infrastructure in ways that help protect wildlife and natural areas. Road ecology is part of how we balance community growth with environmental protection.

The City's environmental plans recognize the need for a coordinated, city-wide approach to​ reducing wildlife-vehicle collisions and improving connections between natural areas.

What this means in practice:

  • Reviewing development proposals to consider wildlife movement and habitat
  • Designing and upgrading roads with opportunities to improve safety for people and wildlife
  • Working with conservation authorities and other partners to plan solutions

2025 Monitoring Recap

An image of a pair of adult swans with their young by a patch of grass
An image of a person holding a snapping turtle at the roadside.

Over the course of the 2025 monitoring season, 27 trained volunteers supported road ecology monitoring along Heart Lake Road, from Sandalwood Parkway East to Mayfield Road. Monitoring was completed up to three times weekly, with efforts involving:

  • Recording wildlife observations and road mortalities on a geospatial survey application
  • Recording turtle nests, assessing predation status, and installing nest protector boxes when safe to do so
  • Assessing the structural integrity of existing wildlife exclusion infrastructure and identifying required repairs as needed
  • Performing traffic counts to understand road usage and the implications to wildlife

Volunteers recorded a total of 106 mortalities caused by wildlife vehicle collisions in 2025. Amongst these mortalities, the most severely impacted fauna types on Heart Lake Road were mammals, frogs, turtles, and birds.

These observations highlight the significant threats to wildlife posed by traffic. Monitoring efforts help to understand these trends and assess the need for exclusionary infrastructure to make positive change in our communities.

A pie/circle graph illustrating the distribution of Road Mortalities by Fauna Type. 46 percent for mammals, 18 percent for frogs, 15 percent for turtles, 14 percent for birds, 4 percent for snakes, and 3 percent for all other unknown fauna.

Get Involved

  • Check back to this page to lookout for 2027 volunteer road ecology monitoring opportunities along Heart Lake Road and Donnelly East Park.
  • Slow down near natural areas, especially near wetlands and forests, and during peak wildlife movement times (dawn, dusk, and rainy evenings).
  • Watch for crossing wildlife, particularly turtles, frogs, snakes, and mammals, and allow them time to cross safely. Do not swerve suddenly.
  • Report wildlife-vehicle collisions or injured animals through the City's 311 Service Request system. This helps the City identify collision hot spots and prioritize safety improvements.
  • Respect wildlife fencing and crossings. These features are designed to guide animals to safer crossing points and avoiding them reduces their effectiveness.
  • Support habitat protection and restoration by staying on trails and respecting naturalized areas, which help maintain healthy wildlife corridors.​​​​

Heart Lake Road Ecology Project

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