American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) Practice Exam

Which type of roadway is intended to collect traffic from local streets while providing access to land?

1. Local Streets

2. Principal Arterials

3. Minor Arterials

4. Collectors

The correct answer is: Collectors

The correct answer is Collectors since they are specifically designed to serve the dual purpose of collecting traffic from local streets and providing access to adjacent land uses. In urban planning and roadway design, collectors play a crucial role in the hierarchy of roads, linking local streets with arterial roads while also serving residential, commercial, and other developed areas. Collectors help in managing traffic flow by gathering vehicles from local streets and channeling them towards larger arterial roadways, thus facilitating efficient movement without overwhelming the local road networks. They have a balanced focus on accessibility and mobility, ensuring that people can conveniently reach various destinations while also maintaining smooth traffic movement on the broader roadway system. Local streets primarily serve to provide access to individual properties and are not designed for through traffic. Principal arterials are major roads that are focused on high-capacity traffic movement over long distances rather than land access. Minor arterials fit into a similar role as principal arterials but typically serve lower traffic volumes and provide less connectivity to local streets than collectors do. Hence, collectors are essential components in urban transportation systems, aiming to optimize both accessibility and connectivity.