I can speak to a degree concerning rural areas.
Finding alternative routes to bypass a bottleneck like a bridge, well, that could take you for a very round about trip, into areas where you may not know the locals or even terrain as well. Or, if you are on foot, you can try humping it cross country. That is all well and good if you have a GPS that is working. If not, through knowledge of the area is a must.
Humping it cross country may, or may not, be as easy as the road ways. It will likely take you longer, plan accordingly. Water may be an issue. I mentioned in another post about water filtration. I was a big fan of those Life Straws, until one year we had a drought. A lot of water sources that I would of used to get back home dried up. Humping cross country requires more energy, in a drought, water becomes a real issue. Same goes for winter. I just got back from walking the dogs in snowshoes. I was sweating, granted I have a fast pace and I was layer up pretty well. Dont become a heat case.
Security, too many variables to cover everything. I stick with move reasonably fast, but quiet. Be ready to duck, cover, or run at a moments notice. In my experience unless you walk directly across someones lawn, walking a hundred yards or more from most houses (again, this is out in the sticks), most people are not going to know if you have even been there. Kinda like seeing a deer, have to be at the right place at the right time looking in the right direction.