In my experience playing FL when a clan is trying to defend a core system they concentrated all their cap ships in one area to maximise their defensive capabilities. The only ships they sent round the system were fighters as scouts. So Trade lanes dont have never really mattered at all in battles involving cap ships. And even then most people dont expect to get a BS anywhere quickly because most have no hope of using trade lanes.
I know where it is Cortana, I just have to find it. - Commodore Puddles