diff --git a/lib/route-traverser.ts b/lib/route-traverser.ts
index 248987f..6152809 100644
--- a/lib/route-traverser.ts
+++ b/lib/route-traverser.ts
@@ -101,12 +101,6 @@ export class RouteTraverser {
   ): Observable<Match> {
     const pattern = route.path || '';
 
-    if ( pattern.charAt(0) === '/' ) {
-      remainingPathname = pathname;
-      paramNames = [];
-      paramValues = [];
-    }
-
     return Observable.of(route)
       .filter(() => remainingPathname !== null)
       .do(() => {
@@ -181,23 +175,4 @@ export class RouteTraverser {
 
 export const MATCH_ROUTE_PROVIDERS = [
   new Provider(RouteTraverser, { useClass: RouteTraverser })
-];
-
-
-export function assignParams(paramNames: string[], paramValues: string[]) {
-  return paramNames.reduce(function (params, paramName, index) {
-    const paramValue = paramValues && paramValues[index];
-
-    if ( Array.isArray(params[paramName]) ) {
-      params[paramName].push(paramValue);
-    }
-    else if (paramName in params) {
-      params[paramName] = [ params[paramName], paramValue ];
-    }
-    else {
-      params[paramName] = paramValue;
-    }
-
-    return params;
-  }, {});
-}
+];
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/spec/route-traverser.spec.ts b/spec/route-traverser.spec.ts
index c86870b..3924bc4 100644
--- a/spec/route-traverser.spec.ts
+++ b/spec/route-traverser.spec.ts
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ describe('RouteTraverser', function() {
                   path: '/profile'
                 },
                 PostRoute = {
-                  path: ':postID'
+                  path: '/:postID'
                 }
               ]
             },
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ describe('RouteTraverser', function() {
       path: '/(optional)?',
       children: [
         OptionalRouteChild = {
-          path: 'child'
+          path: '/child'
         }
       ]
     },
@@ -346,19 +346,6 @@ describe('RouteTraverser', function() {
 
   describe('synchronous route config', function() {
     describeRoutes();
-
-    xdescribe('when the location matches a nested absolute route', function() {
-      it('matches the correct routes', function(done) {
-        traverser
-          .find(change('/team'))
-          .subscribe(match => {
-            expect(match).toBeDefined();
-            expect(match.routes).toEqual([ RootRoute, UsersRoute, TeamRoute ]);
-
-            done();
-          });
-      });
-    });
   });
 
   describe('asynchronous route config', function() {