thoroughfare

A thoroughfare is a public road or passage that enables people and vehicles to travel through a town, city, or region. The term emphasizes the route’s function as a channel for through traffic rather than solely serving local access. Historically, thoroughfares have been essential for commerce and movement, often linking peripheral areas with central districts and connecting major destinations along a continuous route.

In urban planning, a thoroughfare plan designates streets intended to carry through traffic and explains standards for rights of way, curb lines, sidewalks, utilities, and access control. A thoroughfare may be an arterial road or a main street, and its design typically prioritizes efficient movement while balancing pedestrian safety and adjacent land use. In many cities, portions may be pedestrianized or have restricted vehicle access as part of district revitalization or traffic management strategies.

The term is used in various contexts and may have slightly different meanings depending on the jurisdiction. In some places it is synonymous with an arterial road or a primary thoroughfare within a road hierarchy, while in others it refers more broadly to any public road used to traverse a district. Examples of how thoroughfares function include long city routes that form backbone corridors, such as central streets that connect neighborhoods to downtown or commercial districts, and historic avenues that have evolved to accommodate modern traffic needs.

See also: arterial road, street hierarchy, right of way, urban planning, public road.