Guide
Four threat-level routes and the operating procedure
Every trip on the theater map returns four routes ranked by exposure: Lowest, Medium, High and Highest threat. You trade time for fewer lenses. Each route comes with a six-section operating procedure that you follow step by step and can print.
A single fastest route is a fine answer when time is the only cost. It is a poor answer when the road passes a toll plaza, two plate readers and a station full of cameras. The theater map treats exposure as a cost too, so every trip comes back as four routes you can compare.
What are the four routes?
| Route | How it is built | When to choose it |
|---|---|---|
| Lowest threat | The fastest route first, then every exposure cluster it touches is excluded, repeated until no new high or elevated point sits on the path. | Default. Slowest, with the fewest lenses. |
| Medium threat | The fastest route with the heaviest clusters excluded once, and tolls off. | When time matters and some exposure is acceptable. |
| High threat | The plain fastest route, through the city. | When speed wins. The time saved against Lowest is shown. |
| Highest threat | A short route that threads city streets and dense cores, with the most lenses per kilometer. | Rarely. We recommend an escort. |
If the router returns fewer than four distinct paths, you see what exists and the levels are assigned by exposure rank.
Which modes does the planner cover?
Drive, cab, walk, bike and transit each get their own four routes. A mode that has no data in an area is dimmed with a one-line reason, and the planner falls back to a drive-only route if the full planner is unreachable. Coverage is North America today.
How do I read a route?
The chosen route is drawn in gold. The other routes in that mode appear as dashed ghosts in their level color: teal, gold, orange and red. Each row shows time, distance, the difference from the fastest, and an exposure pill from low to high. Below the map you get the exposure points along the path with their distance, the safety zones nearby, and the itinerary. State aircraft near a route are counted on its row.
What is in the operating procedure?
The procedure has six sections.
- Summary gives from, to, mode, distance, time and exposure, with one sentence on why the level is what it is.
- Before you leave is a gear checklist for the mode.
- Route, segment by segment puts exposure events inline at their distance, for example "At 2.3 km: toll plaza, plate capture likely. Keep glasses on, pay cash or Monero, no conversation."
- Abort and fallback points names the nearest safety zones and the lowest-exposure alternative mode.
- Arrival gives the approach for the destination.
- Communications points to a private meeting room and to the rule for sharing pins.
The text comes from fixed templates, so the same trip always yields the same procedure. You can print it or save it as a PDF, and the page never uploads it.
What leaves my browser?
Only the start and end you chose, sent to our own router. We do not use a third-party maps company. Street tiles are relayed through our server from OpenStreetMap. Learn what each level means in exposure levels and countermeasures, then plan a trip.
Cite this page: Always Encrypted, "Four threat-level routes and the operating procedure", https://alwaysencrypted.com/learn/four-threat-level-routes/, updated 2 November 2026.
Questions people ask
Which route should I pick?
Lowest threat is preselected and takes the most time. Medium saves time when it matters. High is the plain fastest route. Highest threads dense city cores and carries an escort recommendation.
Which travel modes are covered?
Drive, cab, walk, bike and transit. A mode that is not yet available in an area is dimmed with a one-line reason.
Is the procedure written by an AI?
No. It is built from fixed templates on our server, so the same trip always gives the same text.
What leaves my browser when I plan a trip?
The start and end you picked go to our own router. The procedure is built and printed in your browser.
Where to go next
- NextRead exposure levels and countermeasures. What the exposure score is made of.
- NextRead how a sealed credential opens a door. What happens at the end of the route.
- NextRead the Navigate panel. Plan a trip now.