Terms and Definitions

Primary Roads

Principal thoroughfares, carrying commercial and commuter traffic from multiple neighborhoods to and from major destinations. These roadways facilitate high volumes of vehicular traffic, usually greater than 3,000 vehicles per day. Collector, Arterial, and Expressways are considered primary roads.

  • Collector Roads: 165 miles
  • Arterial Roads: 331 miles
  • Expressways: 38 miles

Examples of Primary Roads

  • Sinclare Lane / Cedonia Ave | map
  • Belair Road | map
  • Loch Raven Blvd. | map

Secondary Roads

More widely used local roadways, carrying both commuters and neighborhood residents in the area. These are low volume, low speed roads (30 miles per hour or less) in local neighborhoods with traffic volumes less than 2,500 vehicles per day.

  • Local Roads: 1,390 miles

Examples of Secondary Roads

  • St Albans Way | map
  • Old York Road | map
  • Barclay Street | map

Example of a snow covered road
Example of a passable road
Example of a plowed road

Snow Covered

Street is covered with snow

Passable

Street is able to be driven
through but not necessarily
plowed. Probably treated
with salt.

Plowed

Snow has been pushed to the
sides of the street, leaving one
to two inches of snow on the
roadway or cleared down to the
blacktop. Streets are also
treated with salt.