Final answer:
Traveling on multiple-lane roadways is typically faster than local roadways due to the streamlined flow of traffic, higher speed limits, and fewer stops. While local roads are crucial for urban mobility and safety, multi-lane highways are designed for efficient, high-speed travel.
Step-by-step explanation:
Traveling on multiple-lane roadways is often faster than traveling on local roadways primarily due to the streamlined flow of traffic and reduced interactions requiring stopping such as traffic signals and crosswalks. Interstate highways and multi-lane roads are designed to accommodate higher speeds, ultimately reducing travel time.
Large volumes of traffic are managed through multiple lanes and designed for efficiency, allowing drivers the ability to maneuver and overtake slower vehicles, which is harder on single-lane local roads.
Instances of high-volume roads can lead to congestion, though overall, systems like the interstate highway promote expedient travel over long distances.
In contrast, local roadways are typically home to lower speed limits, frequent intersections, pedestrian crossings, and stop signs, which contribute to slower average travel speeds. These features all work together to ensure safety in densely populated or urban areas where there are more simple and complex interactions between road users.
Thus, while local roadways play an important role in urban planning and pedestrian safety, they are not optimized for speed and efficiency as are multiple-lane roadways and expressways. Infrastructure greatly influences how quickly and efficiently one can travel from point A to point B, and bigger roads with more lanes tend to facilitate quicker transits.