Road Types and Classification

Road Types and Naming Conventions

• A road can be any way that connects two points
• A way is a small side street off a road

Streets and Avenues

• Streets are public ways with buildings on both sides
• Streets often run perpendicular to avenues
• Avenues have trees or buildings on both sides too

Other Road Types

• A boulevard is a big wide street with trees on both sides and often has a median
• A lane is a narrow road, often in a rural area
• A drive is a long winding road that might have its route shaped by a nearby mountain or lake
• A terrace is a street that follows the top of a slope
• A place is a road or a street with no throughway (basically a dead end)
• A court is a road that ends in a circle or loop, without a throughway

Public Spaces and Roads

• A plaza or square is an open public space that's surrounded by businesses or streets
• A frontage road (or access road or service road) runs parallel to a larger road, providing local access

Highways and Interstate

• A highway is a major public road that connects larger cities
• An interstate is part of a highway system, but it's defined by being a federally funded network of roads
• A turnpike is part of a highway, but it usually means you'll hit a tollbooth
• A freeway is distinguished by size, with 2 or more lanes on each side
• A beltway is a highway that surrounds a whole city (like a belt)

Decorated Roads and Junctions

• A parkway is a decorated public road, usually called that for the parkland on the side of the road
• A junction is where two roads cross
• An interchange is where two roads cross at a different height
• An intersection is where two roads cross at the same height
• A causeway is a different raised road that passes across low or swampy ground, or water

Other Road Types

• A crescent is a winding road that usually resembles a crescent, and often attaches to a road at both ends
• An alley is a small pathway between buildings, which might not be driveable
• An esplanade is a long open path or road near the ocean, that's also called a promenade if it's primarily for walking

Road Types and Naming Conventions

• A road connects two points, while a way is a small side street off a road

Streets and Avenues

• Streets have buildings on both sides and often run perpendicular to avenues
• Avenues have trees or buildings on both sides

Road Types

• Boulevards are wide streets with trees on both sides and often have a median
• Lanes are narrow roads, often in rural areas
• Drives are long, winding roads shaped by nearby mountains or lakes
• Terraces are streets that follow the top of a slope
• Places are roads or streets with no throughway, essentially dead ends
• Courts are roads that end in a circle or loop, without a throughway

Public Spaces and Roads

• Plazas and squares are open public spaces surrounded by businesses or streets
• Frontage roads run parallel to larger roads, providing local access

Highways and Interstate

• Highways are major public roads connecting larger cities
• Interstates are part of a highway system, defined by being federally funded networks of roads
• Turnpikes are part of a highway, often with tollbooths
• Freeways have 2 or more lanes on each side, distinguished by size
• Beltways are highways that surround a whole city

Decorated Roads and Junctions

• Parkways are decorated public roads with parkland on the side
• Junctions are where two roads cross
• Interchanges are where two roads cross at different heights
• Intersections are where two roads cross at the same height
• Causeways are raised roads that pass across low or swampy ground, or water

Other Road Types

• Crescents are winding roads resembling a crescent, attaching to a road at both ends
• Alleys are small pathways between buildings, may not be driveable
• Esplanades are long open paths or roads near the ocean, also called promenades if primarily for walking