A new analysis of 30,000 towns under 40,000 population identifies risks to evacuation from overcrowded roads or a lack of route options. From StreetLight Data, the analysis used anonymous cell phone data or car navigation systems to understand typical travel patterns, then determined which streets would be most at risk of congestion in an emergency. For some communities, such as those adjacent to bodies of water, natural features may limit the number of roads that exist. In other places, travelers’ habits might pose a risk of overcrowding on major routes even when others are available. Read coverage of this new resource from Route Fifty here, and access the map of communities from StreetLight Data here.
