Highway
In the United States, it is also used as an equivalent term to controlled-access highway, or a translation for motorway, Autobahn, autostrada, autoroute, etc.
Everyday use normally implies roads, while the legal use covers any route or path with a public right of access, including footpaths etc.
A highway is defined in English common law by a number of similarly worded definitions such as "a way over which all members of the public have the right to pass and repass without hindrance"[2] usually accompanied by "at all times"; ownership of the ground is for most purposes irrelevant, thus the term encompasses all such ways from the widest trunk roads in public ownership to the narrowest footpath providing unlimited pedestrian access over private land.
This is typically in the case of bridges, tunnels and other structures whose ownership, mode of use or availability would otherwise exclude them from the general definition of a highway.
What is defined in England as a highway will often in Scotland be what is defined by s.151 Roads (Scotland) Act 1984 (but only "in this act" although other legislation could imitate) simply as a road, that is: The word highway is itself no longer a statutory expression in Scots law[5] but remains in common law.
In American law, the word "highway" is sometimes used to denote any public way used for travel, whether a "road, street, and parkway";[6] however, in practical and useful meaning, a "highway" is a major and significant, well-constructed road that is capable of carrying reasonably heavy to extremely heavy traffic.
Italy was the first country in the world to build controlled-access highways reserved for fast traffic and for motor vehicles only.
[13] Soon the Autobahn was the first limited-access, high-speed road network in the world, with the first section from Frankfurt am Main to Darmstadt opening in 1935.
Highways can reduce commute and other travel time but additional road capacity can also release latent traffic demand.
If not accurately predicted at the planning stage, this extra traffic may lead to the new road becoming congested sooner than would otherwise be anticipated by considering increases in vehicle ownership.
The effect of increases in supply (capacity) are of particular interest in transport economics (see induced demand), as the potential environmental consequences are significant (see externalities below).
In addition to providing benefits to their users, transport networks impose both positive and negative externalities on non-users.
Positive externalities of transport networks may include the ability to provide emergency services, increases in land value and agglomeration benefits.
[24][25] Air quality issues: Highways may contribute fewer emissions than arterials carrying the same vehicle volumes.
This is because high, constant-speed operation creates an emissions reduction compared to vehicular flows with stops and starts.
High-occupancy vehicle lanes are being added to some newer/reconstructed highways in the United States and other countries around the world to encourage carpooling and mass transit.
However, they tend to require dedicated lanes on a highway, which makes them difficult to construct in dense urban areas where they are the most effective.
The report also noted that the problem was most severe in developing countries and that simple prevention measures could halve the number of deaths.
[29] A person tripping with fatal consequences or dying for some unrelated reason on a public road is not included in the relevant statistics.
[40] In South Korea, in February 1995 a bus lane (essentially an HOV-9) was established between the northern terminus and Sintanjin for important holidays and on 1 July 2008 bus lane enforcement between Seoul and Osan (Sintanjin on weekends) became daily between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. On 1 October this was adjusted to 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. weekdays, and 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. weekends.
The government decided to set up some bus lanes in Metro Manila like in the Epifanio delos Santos Avenue.
