What is the primary purpose of an arterial highway?

The primary purpose of an arterial highway is to facilitate through traffic on a continuous route. Arterial highways are designed to carry large volumes of traffic over longer distances, linking significant destinations and allowing vehicles to move efficiently between areas without interruption. This design minimizes stops and disruptions, enabling better flow and reducing travel time for people who are traveling across regions rather than within local neighborhoods.

In contrast, options that suggest serving local traffic only, providing routes for pedestrians and cyclists, or connecting residential neighborhoods focus on more localized needs. While some arterial highways may have provisions for pedestrians and cyclists, their main function is not centered around those user groups or community connections but rather on the movement of traffic. Therefore, facilitating through traffic supports broader transportation goals and improves the overall connectivity of the transportation network.