rat runs
Vermin travel routes
Rat runs are minor roads or residential streets used by drivers as shortcuts to avoid traffic on main routes.
The term evokes rats scurrying through back passages.
During rush hour, locals complain about commuters turning quiet neighborhoods into rat runs: The side streets have become rat runs since they built the shopping center.
Chiefly British.
- backstreetMinor road, secondary
- back alleyPassage behind buildings
- scuttlesHurries with short steps
- shortcuttingTaking a quicker route
- alternative routeSecondary path available
routing · scurries · cut-through · cutting through · alleyway · scampers · side streets · quiet streets · escape route · secret passage · traffic congestion · rush hour · maze · burrow · backdoor · urban planning · residential streets · cul-de-sac
- traffic shortcutsback roads, side streets, cut-throughs
road type/classification
rat runshighways
Major intercity roads
motorways · main roads · arterial roads · dual carriageways · trunk roads