The NCDOT Functional Class map service represents state maintained roads with functional classification assignments. This data is updated quarterly; usually February, May, August, November. As stated by the United States Federal Highway Administration, functional classification is the process by which streets and highways are grouped into classes, or systems, according to the character of service they are intended to provide. Basic to this process is the recognition that individual roads and streets do not serve travel independently in any major way. Rather, most travel involves movement through a network of roads. It becomes necessary then to determine how this travel can be channelized within the network in a logical and efficient manner. Functional classification defines the nature of this channelization process by defining the part that any particular road or street should play in serving the flow of trips through a highway network. There are three main functional classes as defined by the United States Federal Highway Administration: arterial, collector, and local. Arterial roads generally provide the fastest method of travel and typically have low accessibility from neighboring roads. They are usually designed with long-distance travel in mind and are not as common as the other two functional classes of roads. Collector roads are the second most common and are used as a connection between local roads and arterial roads. They provide a balance between access and mobility. Local roads are the most common roads by far, but are also the slowest for travel. They are designed specifically to have high accessibility and to connect to collector and arterial roads, and are typically not used for through traffic. The owner of this data is the NCDOT Transportation Planning Division.@@ (Wednesday, April 06, 2022, last update Friday, Feb 10, 2023)