Local and transit traffic

Local traffic refers to vehicles whose destination or point of origin is in the given area. By contrast, transit or through traffic refers to vehicles which are only passing through an area without stopping there.

Road network is typically designed so as to direct the transit traffic through dedicated corridors: motorways, primary, secondary or tertiary roads, depending on volume. By contrast, residential, unclassified and service roads are designed primarily for local traffic. Although this is only a rule of thumb, routers may use road classification so as to favor higher-performance roads for motor vehicles, and lower-volume roads for walking and cycling.

motor_vehicle=destination denotes that the transit traffic is legally prohibited on a given highway. access=destination generally means the same.