A population-based, demand-aware framework for measuring structural road network redundancy

Structural road network redundancy contributes to reliable mobility by providing alternative routes in caseof disruptions. Existing structural redundancy metrics tend to emphasize the criticality of links (infrastructure-focused) or the pairwise redundancy of origin-destination (Osingle bondD) connections under equal weighting (demand-agnostic), overlooking place- and population-specific differences in redundancy. This study introduces an alternative population-based, demand-aware redundancy metric to evaluate structural redundancy at the census block group level by integrating origin-specific demand distributions derived from mobility data with a path-penalized Dijkstra’s algorithm to evaluate redundancy separately for each census block group. This population-centered approach aligns with transportation justice principles and provides an accessible tool for assessing heterogeneities in local access to road network redundancy. Applied to North Carolina, the metric highlights geographic variation in redundancy across the state, especially considering urban-rural and regional divides, and identifies populations in western North Carolina as having comparatively lower access to redundancy. The findings of the case study underscore the necessity of considering road networks’ unique structural characteristics in planning for equitable and resilient transportation systems. Recommended citation: Cardwell, J., Delamater, P. L., & Konrad, C. E. (2026). A population-based, demand-aware framework for measuring structural road network redundancy. Journal of Transport Geography, 131, 104569.