Algorithmic Routing Inconsistency Concerning Avenue du Général-Leclerc (Paris 14ᵗʰ, France) - Apple Maps

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing to report a recurrent and structurally inconsistent routing behavior observed in digital navigation services regarding Avenue du Général-Leclerc in Paris (14ᵗʰ arrondissement).

This observation is based on repeated route simulations and cartographic analysis carried out at different times and for multiple destinations within the immediate surroundings of this avenue.

1. Status and functional role of Avenue du Général-Leclerc

Avenue du Général-Leclerc is a major public road, classified in the Paris street network as a Category 2 arterial road, and is fully open to public traffic.

It serves as:

• the primary north–south structuring axis of the southern part of Paris’s 14ᵗʰ arrondissement,

• a high-capacity urban corridor with multiple traffic lanes in each direction,

• a key public transport corridor (bus lanes),

• an avenue equipped with protected cycling infrastructure,

• and a major commercial and urban thoroughfare.

Its legal status is entirely public, with no circulation restrictions, discontinuities, or private segments.

👉 From a regulatory, legal, or physical standpoint, there is no justification for systematically avoiding this avenue in routing calculations.

2. Precise description of the routing issue

The routing behavior observed is as follows:

• When the final destination is located directly on Avenue du Général-Leclerc, routes normally use the avenue.

• When the destination is located on an immediately adjacent or perpendicular street, directly connected to the avenue, routing algorithms systematically avoid Avenue du Général-Leclerc, instead proposing detours through secondary residential streets.

In other words:

the avenue is accepted as a destination,

but avoided as a proximity transit corridor.

This behavior is consistent, reproducible, and independent of:

• trip length,

• real travel-time advantage,

• time of day,

• or the presence of incidents or roadworks.

3. Inconsistency with standard road hierarchy logic

In a hierarchically structured urban road network, standard routing logic consists of:

1. using a structuring arterial road,

2. exiting it as close as possible to the final destination.

In this case, however, Avenue du Général-Leclerc appears to be globally and non-contextually penalized, leading to:

• artificial detours,

• routing through narrow residential streets,

• and a clear mismatch between real-world urban design and algorithmic routing decisions.

This is particularly problematic given that Avenue du Général-Leclerc is explicitly designed to carry traffic that adjacent local streets are neither intended nor dimensioned to absorb.

4. Likely technical explanation

The observed behavior suggests an excessive algorithmic penalty applied to Avenue du Général-Leclerc, potentially related to:

• average congestion indicators,

• automatic avoidance rules for “busy” roads,

• or fixed cost weights insufficiently balanced by destination proximity.

This penalty appears to operate in a binary manner:

• the avenue is allowed only when it is the destination,

• but excluded as soon as it becomes a transit segment.

This therefore points not to a mapping or legal issue, but to a bias in the routing cost model.

5. Concrete consequences

This routing behavior results in:

• unjustified traffic diversion onto residential streets,

• increased local nuisance and safety concerns,

• loss of coherence in the urban traffic system,

• and reduced relevance of proposed routes for users.

Notably, these detours provide no measurable benefit in travel time or distance, reinforcing the conclusion that the routing choice is suboptimal.

6. Request

I would therefore kindly request:

• a specific technical review of how Avenue du Général-Leclerc is handled in routing calculations,

• a reassessment of its weighting as a structuring arterial road,

• and, where applicable, a correction allowing its normal use as a proximity transit axis, including for destinations located on adjacent streets.

I remain available to provide precise route examples, screenshots, or any additional information that may assist in investigating this issue.

Thank you in advance for your attention to this matter.

Kind regards