Alternative routing based on road popularity

Alternative routing in urban transportation is essential for minimizing environmental impact and improving road network efficiency. However, existing methods often neglect road popularity, increasing congestion and emissions. This study introduces Polaris, a novel alternative routing algorithm considering road popularity to optimize traffic distribution. Utilizing the concept of Kroad layers, Polaris effectively balances traffic loads across less popular roads, reducing the likelihood of congestion. Experiments conducted across three Italian cities demonstrate that Polaris significantly reduces the overuse of highly popular road edges, minimizes traversed regulated intersections, and lowers CO2 emissions compared to state-of-the-art alternative routing algorithms. This makes Polaris a promising solution for sustainable urban traffic management.