A street network is a system of interconnecting lines and points (called ''edges'' and ''nodes'' in
network science
Network science is an academic field which studies complex networks such as telecommunication networks, computer networks, biological networks, cognitive and semantic networks, and social networks, considering distinct elements or actors rep ...
) that represent a system of
streets or
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 ...
s for a given area. A street network provides the foundation for
network analysis; for example,
finding the best route or creating
service areas.
[Wade, T. and Sommer, S. eds. ]
A to Z GIS
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They greatly affect in-town movement and
traffic
Traffic comprises pedestrians, vehicles, ridden or herded animals, trains, and other conveyances that use public ways (roads) for travel and transportation.
Traffic laws govern and regulate traffic, while rules of the road include traffi ...
. Street networks can become very complex in cities. Street networks are very often localized, because there is little non-highway transportation from town to town. The
U.S. Highway System is like a street network, but it is national, and consists of
highway
A highway is any public or private road or other public way on land. It is used for major roads, but also includes other public roads and public tracks. In some areas of the United States, it is used as an equivalent term to controlled-acces ...
s instead of streets and roads.
See also
*
Braess's paradox
Braess's paradox is the observation that adding one or more roads to a road network can slow down overall traffic flow through it. The paradox was discovered by the German mathematician Dietrich Braess in 1968.
The paradox may have analogies in ...
*
Transport network
A transport network, or transportation network, is a network or graph in geographic space, describing an infrastructure that permits and constrains movement or flow.
Examples include but are not limited to road networks, railways, air routes ...
*
International E-road network
The international E-road network is a numbering system for roads in Europe developed by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE). The network is numbered from E1 up and its roads cross national borders. It also reaches Cen ...
*
Inca road system
*
Traffic analysis
Traffic analysis is the process of intercepting and examining messages in order to deduce information from patterns in communication, it can be performed even when the messages are encrypted. In general, the greater the number of messages observe ...
**
Traffic flow
In mathematics and transportation engineering, traffic flow is the study of interactions between travellers (including pedestrians, cyclists, drivers, and their vehicles) and infrastructure (including highways, signage, and traffic control dev ...
**
Permeability
*
Grid plan
*
List of cities that are inaccessible by road
References
{{Authority control
Network
Road infrastructure