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or other smaller roads that run parallel to the main road. They are generally local people who know these streets and the pros and cons of using them as alternatives to the main road. Use of satellite navigation apps with real-time traffic information can also be used by motorists unfamiliar with an
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Rat running is controversial. When traffic is especially heavy on a highway or main road, rat-running vehicles may cause another traffic jam on the rat-run streets, along with accompanying problems such as collisions, pollution from exhaust, and road rage. It is sometimes opposed by residents on the
338:, or gates, designed to block the passage of vehicles while simultaneously allowing pedestrians through. This serves to deter rat-running while maintaining a sense of continuity for pedestrians, making the streets more pedestrian-friendly.
298:, speed tables, speed cushions, curb extensions, cobbled sections, hidden law enforcement and various other measures. Other communities install physical barriers that completely block through-traffic along routes prone to rat running.
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affected streets, as they may regard it as a disturbance of their peace. Sometimes, it causes "house price fears". Authorities may try to prevent rat running by installing traffic calming devices, such as
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When a major event draws a large volume of traffic, local police sometimes monitor or block secondary roads to prevent motorists from the event crowd from using such streets to avoid the traffic.
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Some large streets are separated from parallel small residential streets only by a small strip where homeowners park their vehicles. These streets can be used to bypass traffic jams.
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Some motorists exit and then re-enter a freeway or motorway at the same junction, or use lanes designated for exiting and merging, or cut across unpaved dividers to
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measures to discourage its use or laws against taking certain routes. Rat runs are frequently taken by motorists familiar with the local geography.
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Traffic laws may be implemented to prevent rat running. Right turns onto the side street shown here are prohibited between 8am and 8pm.
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Rat running is a tactic used to avoid heavy traffic and long delays at traffic signals or other obstacles, even where there are
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have passed or tried to pass laws restricting rat-running in certain communities to maintain peace and privacy for residents.
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In some places, motorists avoid stopping at a red light by turning onto a side street or into a parking lot to bypass it.
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to eliminate through traffic while allowing pedestrians, cyclists, residents and local businesses to get through.
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649:"The Impact of 2020 Low Traffic Neighbourhoods on Fire Service Emergency Response Times, in London, UK"
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scheme is intended to discourage rat-running though certain residential areas, using a combination of
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Many communities combat rat running by installing traffic calming features such as
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526:"'Rat-running' increases on residential UK streets as experts blame satnav apps"
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Goodman, Anna; Laverty, Anthony A.; Thomas, Asa; Aldred, Rachel (2021-05-11).
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Japanese road sign directing away from a narrow roadway. Left board says "To
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30:"Cut-through" redirects here. For the computer networking method, see
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As of the 21st century, officials in a number of US states including
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498:"Neighborhoods Use Broad Palette to Deter Traffic-Shortcut Artists"
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road instead of the intended main road in urban or suburban areas.
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Derbyshire County
Council - Barriers to stop rat running motorists
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One of the most extensive uses of this strategy is found in
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area to route around congested main roads via side streets.
415:"Trucks use rat run to avoid toll, so annoying neighbours"
163:'狭道' written in the yellow rectangle mean "narrow street"
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618:"Rat-Run 2003 contest reveals doorstep traffic hell"
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259:(or left in drive-on-the-left countries), making a
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27:Motor traffic short-cutting thru residential areas
367:(for example, using barriers, planters or other
255:In some countries, red lights can be avoided by
569:. Bicycledutch.wordpress.com. 14 December 2015
239:Motorists familiar with an area sometimes use
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567:"Bicycle Dutch: How to prevent rat running"
159:, go ahead to Yasukuni-dori Ave.", and the
546:"City of Berkeley Traffic Calming History"
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127:Learn how and when to remove this message
589:, BILL INFO-2004 Regular Session-SB 508
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65:adding citations to reliable sources
467:"Rat run causes house price fears"
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624:. August 26, 2003. Archived from
496:Weiss, Eric M. (July 26, 2008).
465:Webster, Ben (August 26, 2003).
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319:makes extensive use of raising
52:needs additional citations for
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446:. Wordpress. 14 December 2015
524:Reid, Carlton (2020-09-25).
440:"How to prevent rat running"
143:Despite the traffic calming
359:In the United Kingdom, the
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216:Montgomery County, Maryland
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220:Maryland Heights, Missouri
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361:Low Traffic Neighbourhood
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365:filtered permeability
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267:Traffic jam avoidance
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32:Cut-through switching
628:on November 23, 2006
303:Berkeley, California
257:turning right on red
61:improve this article
662:10.32866/001c.23568
548:. Ci.berkeley.ca.us
503:The Washington Post
248:Red light avoidance
176:cut-through driving
705:Driving techniques
604:2007-01-27 at the
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59:Please help
54:verification
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224:Minneapolis
200:speed humps
168:Rat running
694:Categories
573:2018-07-12
552:2018-07-12
509:August 24,
402:References
391:Shunpiking
375:measures.
186:Background
87:newspapers
681:236564301
655:: 23568.
471:The Times
328:St. Louis
117:July 2010
653:Findings
602:Archived
476:13 April
450:13 April
424:13 April
379:See also
347:Maryland
332:planters
321:bollards
296:chicanes
180:cemetery
157:Shinjuku
632:May 15,
343:Georgia
212:one-way
101:scholar
18:Rat run
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371:) and
261:U-turn
206:, and
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677:S2CID
336:curbs
161:kanji
108:JSTOR
94:books
634:2015
511:2010
478:2017
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426:2017
345:and
80:news
667:hdl
657:doi
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63:by
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