Crossings: How Road Ecology Is Shaping the Future of Our Planet

by Ben Goldfarb, Malcolm Hillgartner (Narrator)

An eye-opening and witty account of the global ecological transformations wrought by roads, from the award-winning author of Eager.


Some 40 million miles of roadways encircle the earth, but we tend to regard them only as infrastructure for human convenience. In Crossings, Ben Goldfarb delves into the new science of road ecology to explore how roads have transformed our world. A million animals are killed by cars each day in the US alone, and roads fragment wildlife populations into inbred clusters, disrupt migration for creatures from antelope to salmon, allow invasive plants to spread, and even bend the arc of evolution itself. But road ecologists are also seeking innovative solutions: Goldfarb meets with conservationists building bridges for mountain lions and tunnels for toads, engineers deconstructing logging roads, and citizens working to undo the havoc highways have wreaked upon cities. A sweeping, spirited, and timely investigation into how humans have altered the natural world, Crossings also shows us how to create a better future for all living beings.

Genres: Nonfiction, Science, Nature, Environment, Ecology, Audiobook, History

Audible Audio

First published September 12, 2023

Reviews

[Geoffrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once again, Ben Goldfarb (disclaimer: he's one of my BFFs) has written a book that will forever change how I (and, I suspect, many readers) will view parts of my daily life. Last time it was any natural landscape I walked in, wondering whether it should be more beaverful; this time, it's roads. I know the next time I'm driving I'll be acutely aware of how the paved path I'm on is perceived by the wildlife that I can't see. And every time I see one of those yellow wildlife-crossing signs, I'll know that they do exactly nothing (though maybe this book will make readers actually slow down in response to them).

Ben brings his usual wit and eye for humor and irony to the places, people, and creatures he visits; there are scenes in this book that will never leave my brain (that of biologists giving icewater enemas to overheated mule deer, for one). And he points the way towards a future where new roads and repaired infrastructure can make the world better for wildlife and humans alike.

[Bridey · Rating 5 out of 5]

i gripe a bit about how hard it is to get places in the adirondacks, but also not really meaning it because i know it’s due to wilderness areas not permitting roads, and road limits on the park as a whole - so it’s overall a good thing that i like. but wow, this book made me not just think “okay, few roads in a big park is annoying as a driver but probably be better for animals” but realize how lucky and amazing it is that i get to live in such a roadless place; that 200-whatever years ago some people put together this forest preserve and it is now almost an oasis. 80% of the contiguous US is within just 1 kilometer of a road. 80%!!!!! how amazing that the habitat that we have exists here! (also- not touched on in the book, but i am curious about what impact trails have on plants/ecosystems/wildlife. goldfarb does count ATV/snowmobile “trails” as roads i believe, since their speed and motors impact wildlife like a road does)

i like the way this is written. it’s like a really passionate professor is talking to you and using a lot of technical jargon but also explaining it really well and often in funny ways. so it kind of is like a textbook, but also not. it took me a long time to get through and it’s not a very long book, but it’s just so full of so much and i highly recommend it as a read. it’s worth it.

ps the ending about the “anthropause” during covid. made me think about crying a little

[Shelley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you again, Ben Goldfarb, for expanding the horizons of this literary fiction buff into the realm of environmental non-fiction. First beavers, now roads. Who knew? Crossings opened my eyes to the unseen (to me) impact that road ecology has on our world. Yes, I live in Michigan, grew up in the Motor City and have traversed the roads that connect - and divide - the great city of Detroit. I have clutched my pearls at the gruesome sight of all the roadkill (deer, skunks, birds) lining I-75 (and other thoroughfares) but until I read Crossings, I thought of these victims as little more than unfortunate animals that failed to cross a buzzing highway populated with tractor trailers, speeding muscle cars, and people trying to get home to the suburbs after a day's work (pre- and post-pandemic anyway). Goldfarb's carefully researched and thoughtfully written book changed my POV and helped me see how our roads have far more impact beyond the apparent (and rigged) Frogger game played by unwitting wildlife and motorists. A road is never just a road, indeed. A great read.

[Noah Hendel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, roads are bad

[George · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really, really interesting and quite sad. Will never look at culverts, jersey barriers, and underpasses the same way. Death to cars ✊

[Annapurna Holtzapple · Rating 5 out of 5]

Had I initially realized this book was about road ecology I would probably not have read it so thank goodness I didn’t read the subtitle! This book is amazing and I will literally never be on a road or in a vehicle in the same way ever again. If you are at all interested in transit/urban planning/WUI/anti-cars this book is for you! If you’re interested in biodiversity, or EJ/structural oppression, or international dev, this is for you. Not just is it so important but so well written?! Figures, I guess, if you’re going to write a book about something as niche and (seemingly) inane as roads, then you better make it fantastic. I honestly don’t even think it is that nerdy of me this is just a great read.

[Nancy Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating look at how roads impact the places they traverse and how they might be improved to better fit into their environments.

[Deidre · Rating 3 out of 5]

No one will drive on a road again without thinking about this book. As someone who was hit by a deer, this book explained a lot about what caused the exploding deer population. Roadkill takes center stage as a consequence of humanity's need for mobility (via roads and other conveyances). I found the topics of many chapters fascinating and ones I hadn't really thought much about (e.g. the hidden culverts and impact on migrating fish - there are hundreds of them in my Green Mountain state, many made by landowners using old oil drums and pipes). While some might find this book depressing, there is hope emanating from stories about individuals who take action like the carers of orphaned animals in Australia/Tasmania and the folks shuttling frogs and turtles across roads at night. Goldfarb made this data-dense book readable and entertaining through his turn of a phrase. Here is an example:
* Take black bears, fur-clad geniuses who plan for the future, recognize themselves in mirrors, and tutor each other in the dark arts of unlocking supposedly bear-proof containers (p 183)
*

[Carmen Dyck · Rating 5 out of 5]

An incredible insight into what we as humans think we’re entitled to… and what we really aren’t. Even as we transition to electric vehicles, which are supposedly better for the environment, we fail to notice that the very infrastructure that supports this transit is killing millions of the animals who were here first. This book provides excellent perspectives of what roads do wrong — and what we need to do in the future to fix them.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

An ode to roadkill. I don’t think there’s anybody alive who hasn’t pondered upon seeing a dead animal alongside a road about the impact, cost, and effects we are exacting upon nature in our machines, always in a hurry. This book addresses that and splendidly so.

[Aaryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the most fascinating books I've ever read -- who knew road ecology would be such an intriguing topic? This book has forever changed how I think about roads. The audiobook is excellent; highly recommended if you are interested in nature or how humans impact the natural world.

[David Tao · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5

What a fun read. Goldfarb does an excellent job in both portraying the reality of how roads wreck havoc for animal ecology but still remaining optimistic. Humans are doing better y'all!!!

[Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.75

“Wildlife crossings are a way of returning the favor, of deliberately inviting non-humans into our cities.”

I really enjoyed this! It's definitely made me think about roads a lot differently, especially considering I drive on them literally every single day. I had honestly never even heard of wildlife crossings before so that opened a whole new window into my understanding of the world, and I pay more attention to what's along the sides of the roads now. So in that respect this book was a major success.

This book mostly focused on the US, but I liked that it also spent some time on other countries, especially the chapter about underdeveloped countries starting to build more roads. I also like the author's casual conversational tone with lots of nerdy jokes while still being very serious when it counts and super informative. I also like that the author is overall cautiously optimistic while still being realistic about the negative effects of humans. This is a great read for a casual non-fiction reader, and the audiobook is also great, though there are a lot of pictures in the physical copy!

My favorite chapters were the one on mountain lions in southern California (because that is literally close to home), the one about the noise that highways generate (something that is annoying but I never thought of how noisy even low-trafficked roads are for animals!), and the aforementioned chapter about other countries. But I really enjoyed all the chapters and learned a lot! It was also cool how this book linked with other non-fictions I've read, like the mention of umvehlt that I first learned about in An Immense World, and of course quoting Robin Wall Kimmerer of Braiding Sweetgrass fame twice!

Subtracted 0.25 stars just because there was a little bit of repetition some times that made me think this book was never edited as a cohesive whole and was just separate essays put together. But it was only a minor annoyance as overall I had a great time!

[Michelle L · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had no idea what to expect. A book about roads and animals sounds like a set-up for a long list of heartbreaking roadkill stories. Yes, there’s some of that, for sure. You cannot tell the story of roads without discussing invasion of space and death in the name of careless progress. BUT, Goldfarb managed to craftily wind through the stories of indigenous peoples, native plants and animals, policy history, and international perspectives with respect and care for the reader. This is not a book about roads or a long-winded plea to drive more slowly. It’s a fascinating look at the very real-world, tested ways we can support our land, ecology, and our enjoyment of the outdoors with minimal effort in terms of policy and road planning/building.

As I write this, 59% of all U.S. forestry land is now in the hands of the logging industry, per the current administration. IF they replace trees, it will be with lesser pine (think: pine farms) and the rest of the forest will die. Extreme logging will decimate the ecological balance, make the world hotter, and of course, eliminate the need for this book as most wildlife will not survive the invasion. So, I don’t know how relevant this book is when looking at the future of the U.S. I do know that it’s speaks to international frameworks and makes recommendations anyone can consider, so I do still recommend this reading. If anything, it’s a lovely educational read, especially for those of us who love the outdoors and who believe in preserving and living alongside, in harmony, with all the natural beauty this world has to offer.

[Robert Sheard · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had never heard of road ecology. But the whole idea of roads and their impact on plant and animals is so interesting. Long live the bicycle!

[Reynold Witmer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I never saw a road till my thirtieth year. That seems like a suitably dramatic way to review a book that was really a tremendous experience. Hyperbole aside, author Ben Goldfarb is right, we rarely *see* roads, they are taken for granted. in the eternal joke "why did the chicken cross the road?" The chicken is the problem, not the road. in our fast-paced and often oblivious society, roads seem self evident. to every other species on the planet, they are bizarre, dangerous, life ending anomalies. I won't attempt to preach this book; it stands on its own feet quite well. But I must credit the many ways it altered or radically changed my notions of roaddom. from how many animals we kill a day on roads, (think millions) why interstates targeted minority groups along racial lines, and why the national forestry service maintains an inordinate amounts of roads (well, because industry, that's why)
thanks to this book, driving has become a whole new sport for me. I understand better why interstates are mown, why wildlife crossing tunnels/overpasses really do make sense, and why national parks could be cool. also, as i suspected, "camping" has classist underpinnings that depend more on owning a vehicle and disposable income than on naturalist urging, but I digress. maybe I don't digress. why do cars have to dictate every detail of our lives, at the expense of many things beautiful! I should walk more. this book merits a reread, and it is a friendly exploration of many things we refuse to notice. 5 stars for content, 6 stars for tone.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read Eager and thoroughly enjoyed it and recommended it to family and friends. I am equally enthusiastic about this book if not more. Ben does a fantastic job of peeling back the layers of our day to day existence to reveal a complex, multi-layered world that is hiding in plain site.

If you use a road on a daily basis this book will astound you. If you are planning a road trip in the near future read this book now! Even if you are not planning a road trip you should still READ THIS BOOK NOW!

[Twirlsquirrel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Made it about halfway through the audiobook.

At the beginning this book had a compelling narrative voice and succinct pacing, with a good density of information that was neither a dribble nor a flood, all relevant to the stated theses. If the book had kept these qualities throughout, it would've been an easy three stars.

However starting with chapter two the narrative voice began meandering all over the place and the pacing went with it. The contents of any given chapter slosh between topical info dumps, memoir of the author's adventures and bland political musings, and way too much detailed biography about the researchers and activists behind individual discoveries and events that are themselves already given too much page space. Another reviewer compared this change of pace to a padded-out homework assignment, and I fully agree with that description as the overwhelming vibe of this book.

Here's an example of how wordy this book is, from near where I stopped. While describing their experience watching some butterflies - itself a vignette that did not meaningfully add to the thrust of its containing chapter - the author writes this sentence: "There was something of the flaneuse about her, the window-shopper drifting between storefronts."

Does anyone reading a book about road ecology really need an anthropomorphic visual analogy for the erratic flight patterns of butterflies? Maybe on its own this sentence isn't a big deal but the entire book is packed with pointless digressions like this, and it really hurts both the pacing and focus. How many people picked this book up hoping for freshman-level creative writing practice?

For that matter, how many people picked this book up hoping to learn which cougars were the biggest tabloid celebrities in California and which of their researchers had what tattoos? What about random quoted passages from random fiction authors? Maybe I'm just the wrong audience but I really, truly don't care about any of this stuff. I came here to learn about road ecology. None of this fluff is road ecology. You could cut this book to 1/3 the size by removing all these different strains of fluff and it would be much better, which makes me wonder what the editor was doing. Maybe the book could have used the story of the lost editor as filler material instead.

Speaking of editing, bad puns like "Snow Chi Minh highway" (so painfully ignorant in that quintessential U.S.-centric way) are repeated over and over without critique. Awkward alliteration is fatally forced onto almost all the pages perused by my earnest ears. (If you loved that sentence you'll love this book.)

The table of contents should have been entirely redone before publication. Typically a nonfiction book about science or policy (both true of this book) will use this section to advertise the primary topics it covers. Here we get titles like "Hotel California" and "In cold blood", which say exactly nothing about what topics are covered in those chapters.

Clearly I didn't like the writing style or overall editing choices, but what about the core of the book - the central ideas of ecological problems posed by roads, and solutions we might enact against those problems?

The scope of the book was much more limited than I hoped. Again, I only made it through the first half, but in that portion the only ecological problems handled with any depth were roadkill, blocked migration routes, and sensory disturbance of wildlife (primarily through sound). These are important topics, but they're far from constituting a full half of the ecological problems posed by roads...and I'd argue that roadkill, which receives the most attention by far, is by far the smallest of the big issues.

On a smaller scale I didn't see any discussion of bioremediation loss, loss of groundwater reserves, creation of heat islands, or most other local ecologically destructive outcomes inherent to road construction.

On a larger scale, there's nothing here (at least in the first half) about the massive quantity of plastics shed into the environment from the friction of tires on roads. This is truly one of the greatest ecological threats posed by roads, as microplastics and nanoplastics have infiltrated every organism and environment ever checked for them (yes including humans and mountaintops). We don't yet know all the ways plastic accumulation affects bodies that have no evolutionary defense against it, but early biochemical analysis gives us some good ideas, and all of them are terrifying. Yet this book seems to have nothing to say on this topic...which strikes me like writing a modern history of smoking without saying a word about vapes: Bizarrely archaic and outdated from the moment it was published.

There's also nothing about the loss of climate sinks inherent to road construction, which is a significant component of climate change (another of the biggest ecological threats posed by roads). Nor did I notice anything beyond a passing sentence or two about the ecological damage done by oil drilling, refining, transport, processing, and other associated activities that are all inherently bound up in the same economic framework that catalyzes - and in turn is further catalyzed by - the dominance of roads. These issues are extraordinarily closely intertwined with road ecology, and ignoring them shows me that at best, the author hasn't thought about any meaningful systemic solutions to these problems, and at worst, he hasn't even thought of the relevant problems.

Socially and economically there was nothing about the history or tactics of fully functional and ecologically safer public transport systems being systematically dismantled and replaced with roads for the explicit sake of capitalist growth and profit. In fact I can't recall capitalism being mentioned a single time in this book, which is honestly silly for a book that claims to analyze the ecologically destructive effects of road systems in the modern world and posit solutions to them.

Instead, the author seems trapped in a standard liberal paradigm of tweaking what already exists, mostly by installing lots of wildlife corridors across roads. This is not acceptable. Capitalism is the obvious driver at the heart of the layered modern destructions posed by roads. There's no time or energy to waste on the musings of people who still compliment Obama and criticize Bush and Trump like they don't all serve functionally identical roles in the capitalist logic of modern road expansion. It's like picking the drunkest person in the stadium to be the referee. Do you really trust what they have to say about the game?

Along these same lines, early on the author briefly mentions imperialism and colonialism as catalyzing forces in road development, then quickly drops them forever and moves onto the aforementioned Red Scare U.S.-speak about "Snow Chi Minh highways" without a hint of ironic awareness. This book will teach you nothing about the structural causes of road ecology or any other systematically organized pattern of environmental destruction. Nor will it teach you how to meaningfully address what it has not taught you to recognize.

As already mentioned, this book's solutions seem to be things like "more road crossings". A more competent and comprehensive analysis of the sociopolitical, economic, and historical factors behind road expansion would have led directly to much better solutions - like removing dangerous intracity roads and replacing them with updated versions of the public transit systems that already existed there before capitalists replaced them with roads. There are many other good solutions and they all rely on breaking out of the capitalist logic that got us here in the first place - which in turn relies on understanding and acknowledging that actual history, and not burying it under a shrug and an appeal to ignorance. It's not a mystery that capitalism got us here, or how. It should be the job of books like this one to ensure it doesn't become a mystery, and to suggest creative ways out of our problems by thinking outside the logic of the system that caused them. It's possible the author reaches some of these points by the end, but the book's other flaws were too strong for my optimism to get me that far.

This book gets two stars instead of one because there was some genuinely good scientific information hidden between all the fluff, bad writing, bizarre topical priorities, and politically incoherent analysis. My recommendation is to check out the book or ebook instead of the audiobook, so you can visually skim it. My alternative recommendation is to completely skip it and wait for a stronger book on the topic, one that doesn't hide from the biggest issues at play.

[Summer Merrill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Veryyyyy interesting book!! I liked his biology perspective and I appreciated that he didn’t just hate on roads. A lot of cool concepts like wildlife crossings (shoutout the one under construction in SoCal on 101!) and culverts. I had a lengthy discussion with Steven the biologist in my office about the monarch highway. AND I love that he talked about the institutional racism and gentrification caused by roads and how to repair the historical damages.

[Charlie Malloy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really interesting study of the seen and unseen ways in which roads and human development affect the surrounding environment and animal behavior, as well as the solutions scientists have been able to develop to overcome these challenges to animal migration and species survival. Also, a very good reminder that fixtures of development that seem as though they've always been here and are taken for granted as permanent like our highway system are actually incredibly new in the grand scheme and are able to be changed with conscious effort.

Overall would definitely recommend as an interesting read, but must be noted there is also essentially an entire chapter that lists different California highways that I found impossible not to read in the voice of an SNL "The Californians" skit.

[Beck Seamons · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every American should read this book, it really made me reconsider my relationship to the land. Thank you Ben Goldfarb.

[Yasmine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read like 85% of this and then the libby gods took it and tbh I let them. Usually i love ecology but I just didn’t need to know this much about roadkill. Also y didn’t they give the mountain lion a real name justice for p22 😤

[Kristin Hirsch · Rating 5 out of 5]

not me personally shuttling caterpillars across my neighborhood streets after reading this 😭

[Camelia Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

I started listening to the audiobook of Crossings the weekend before the election. I hadn’t heard of road ecology before, and the book was a welcome education to me. The day after the election, I continued listening. I was shocked by my own strong reaction: anger, grief, and despair. It will take a long time for me to digest the new reality. Perhaps one day I’d remember longingly the days before I read Crossings .

[Ray · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was so good!

Every chapter held my interest.
Goldfarb is a fantastic non-fiction author. I will read his other book ASAP.

The narrator was equally great.

[Melanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

made me laugh & cry & overthink my life choices! if you've heard me pontificate about roadkill and road ecology during the last month it's all ben goldfarb's fault.

[Kam Yung Soh · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating and readable book about how the ecology of roads (and cars) is changing the face of the earth. With millions of kilometres of roads on the face of the earth, it is no wonder they are changing how animals behave and move about (or don't) when faced with a road. But it's not just animals: in the last chapter, the author shows how roads have been used to enforce racial segregation in the USA.

The first part of the book deals with how roads can kill animals. The most obvious is ending up as roadkill. But roads (and cars) also cut across migration paths, forcing animals to either starve (by staying where they are on one side of the road) or risk being killed trying to cross. Roads also cut across the territories of animals like the mountain lion in California, isolating them and causing in-breeding. Roads are especially deadly to amphibians and reptiles who bask on roads to get warm and whose natural instinct is to stay still instead of running from danger.

The second part looks at other effects roads have on the environment. The US Forest Service maintains roads in wild areas for access and safety. But these roads affect wildlife, and there is now a movement to restrict roads or to remove them. Noise pollution from roads also have an effect, with wildlife either having to call louder to be heard, or by failing to hear predators due to the covering noise. Road verges are a controversial topic, for they often have high levels of road pollution, yet may offer a refuge for animals driven off land beside the verges due to development. The story of the Monarch butterfly is a case in point, with milkweed being planted on road verges to help they survive; but doing so may kill them in the long term. Road kill also attracts scavengers like vultures, which can help them thrive, if the road doesn't kill them. Beside the land and air, roads can also affect water life. Roads cross streams and rivers using culverts, with can block the migrating path of salmon and other water life, and cause pollution in run-offs.

The third part looks at what can be done to mitigate the effect of roads. One change has been the building of wildlife crossings to help animals cross roads. But these usually work only when the crossings have been properly designed for them. People who help rehabilitate wildlife struck by vehicles also have a role, but an unappreciated one, which could lead to stress and even suicide among them. Instead of discarding roadkill, it can be collected to aid in research to learn about the condition of animals when they are killed. New road building could also be done with the needs of animals in mind, instead of adding them to roads afterwards. Finally, roads could also be removed or redeveloped, especially in areas where roads have historically been used to demolish or obstruct communities as a form of racial segregation.

[Alexa Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

wow what a great read that I suspect I will be thinking about for the rest of my life. How can we build better roads that serve all life on the planet? How can we prevent new roads from continuing to acts as a direct reflection of the pervasiveness of human expansion? More importantly how can we prevent the further subjugation of nature through our infrastructure? I suspect it all begins by realizing our infrastructure is not as mundane and harmless and stagnant as we’ve been conditioned to believe.

ben goldfarb did a phenomenal job of not only introducing the subject of road ecology but providing some really interesting case studies which really drove home just how intersectional and universal ecology and conservation really are.

Ultimately thinking about the comment by the Kootenai Tribes on I-93 development (a great example of functional road ecology) : “The road is a visitor”.

I would recommend this book be co-read with “Wild Souls” by Emma Maris which considers the philosophical autonomy and intrinsic value of wilderness. Some overlapping ideas, some conflicting ideas, but man does it get the gears turning.

[Shanmei · Rating 5 out of 5]

I appreciate when ecological journalism is actually enjoyable to read and doesn’t devolve into moral handwringing about how horrible human beings are (which, to be clear, is a justified take- just incredibly boring and overdone). This novel also examines environmental justice and how the factors that harm wildlife are the same ones that disproportionately affect certain groups of people, an insight that is usually sorely missing from books in this genre. Goldfarb has a really unique narrative voice and is generally a pretty funny guy. Some bits are repetitive, but that’s an inherent part of nature writing (you can only read about the body of some miscellaneous species of trout being described as “sleek yet powerful” so many times before it gets old). 9.5/10

[Elise Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazingly well written book about the ecological impacts of road infrastructure on plant, animal, and human lives. Diving into the environmental, economic, and political nature of roads throughout US history, this book highlights so many amazing stories and warnings for our future. The anecdotal story telling made it accessible and engaging, and I was consistently impressed with how much this book captured. Will need to return to it!!

Took me a long time to read but one of my fav reads of 2025!!!