How street DNA affects traffic congestion

If the road network is a nation's arterial system, with poor circulation very quickly affecting its health, can 'street DNA' indicate the fitness for purpose of your local streets?

London might seem near gridlock during peak times, but unlike many other major cities, its Street DNA does at least show very direct connections - a result of its dense street network.

Looking like aerial MRI scans, transport analysts from moovel lab created a series of 'urban mobility fingerprints' that reveal the characteristics of road networks around the world - beguiling graphs of so-called Street DNA.

The "Urban Mobility Fingerprint" calculates routes to a single destination from many departure points, which are placed on a radius around the destination. The size of the radius is defined by travel time with different transportation modes. All routes taken together create the "Urban Mobility Fingerprint".

All starting points are rotated and aligned to one optimum connection line. The direct line between these two dots is the ideal connection between the two locations.

The outline is created by connecting all destinations that are reached within the same travel time. The colours indicate compass direction.

The 13 cities chosen to have their street DNA revealed exhibit different cultural backgrounds and iconic street topography. Coastal locations like San Francisco, Dubai's Palm Island or Manhattan show the extreme deviations from the ideal connections experienced while travelling through cities.

Create your own street DNA

Create your own Urban Mobility Fingerprint and Street DNA graphs for driving, cycling or walking in your own area using the interactive web map at roadstorome.moovellab.com/explore

The ethical choice

The ETA was established in 1990 as an ethical provider of green, reliable travel services. Over 30 years on, we continue to offer cycle insurance , breakdown cover and mobility scooter insurance while putting concern for the environment at the heart of all we do.

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