The functional classification of a
road
A road is a linear way for the conveyance of traffic that mostly has an improved surface for use by vehicles (motorized and non-motorized) and pedestrians. Unlike streets, the main function of roads is transportation.
There are many types of ...
is the class or group of roads to which the road belongs. There are three main functional classes as defined by the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
Federal Highway Administration
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is a division of the United States Department of Transportation that specializes in highway transportation. The agency's major activities are grouped into two programs, the Federal-aid Highway Program a ...
: arterial, collector, and local.
Arterial roads
Arterial roads generally provide the fastest method of travel and typically have low accessibility from neighboring roads. They are usually designed with long-distance travel in mind and are not as common as the other two functional classes of roads. Examples include interstates and highways.
Collector roads
Collector roads are the second most common and are used as a connection between local roads and arterial roads. They provide a balance between access and mobility.
Local roads
Local roads are the most common roads by far, but are also the slowest for travel. They are designed specifically to have high accessibility and to connect to collector and arterial roads, and are typically not used for through traffic. The main function of local roads are to allow for people who live in low density residential to connect to other residential areas or to collector roads.
External links
Highway Functional Classification Concepts, Criteria and Procedures- Federal Highway Administration
Road transport
{{road-stub