Light-duty roads are characterized by which traffic pattern?

• A. Lighter, mostly local traffic
• B. Heavy, through traffic
• C. No traffic
• D. Commercial traffic only

Answer: (A)

Light-duty roads are designed for local access, connecting homes and nearby businesses to larger roads. Because their primary role is to serve local trips rather than move people quickly across regions, they experience lower vehicle volumes and a higher share of local, short-distance trips. That’s why the traffic pattern is best described as lighter traffic with mostly local trips.

Heavy through traffic would be more typical on major arterials or highways, not on neighborhood streets. A scenario with no traffic isn’t realistic for functional roads, and roads aren’t typically restricted to commercial traffic only, since residential and mixed-use areas see a variety of vehicles, not just commercial ones.