After the bikes patch, the downtown boulevards grow from four to six lanes with separate bike lanes, plus street bike racks and bike garages. Tile 4 then extends the port, adds a separate industrial entrance, a highway interchange and the rail yard the city was missing — detailed with layered gravel textures and dirt on the shiny depot roof.
What happens in this episode
The bikes patch had just been released, so before choosing tile 4 of Cedarpoint County I went back to the downtown of tiles 1 and 2. Then the new tile extends the port from episode 3 and finally adds the rail yard the city needed. Without one, the central station from episode 2 had no trains.
How it was built
Retrofitting downtown for bikes
From what I’d read and tested, bikes can slow down cars, because without dedicated lanes cyclists ride on the car lanes. So the custom four-lane boulevards through downtown became six-lane roads with separate bike lanes, to keep cyclists off the car lanes as much as possible. Don’t forget bike parking: the on-street racks from the patch sit next to the road without taking sidewalk space, and a few bike garages cover larger demand.
A rail yard at last
Tile 4 sits between the port and the surrounding industry, so it can create a smooth transition between them and host the rail yard. For now only passenger trains run, because there’s no freight rail stop yet, but even passenger trains should take some car traffic off the roads from the outer parts of the county.
A separate entrance lets industrial traffic reach the port without clogging the surrounding roads. Parking lots go under the highway bridges and pillars wherever they fit, as usual.
A tight interchange
A good industrial area needs a good highway connection, so one-way highway links tie the tile into the two highways from episode 3. One connection has a really tight turn I’m not happy with, and I may redesign the interchange later, but every car and truck can now reach every destination as the district grows.
Textured tracks and a weathered depot
Texturing the ground under the tracks adds a lot of realism to any rail line and especially to rail yards. I layer Sully’s river textures from the workshop for a smooth transition into the grass, then add dirt and other soil types in between. The concrete under the industrial buildings is extended again to close off all the grass, because heavy industry doesn’t have lawns.
The rail yard roof turns very shiny in direct sunlight. The fix: dirt decals, placed only along the visible edges of the roof. That makes it look weathered rather than freshly delivered. Trash cans and more dirt across the tile take away the polished look the game gives everything by default, and a used-car lot waiting to be shipped out ends the episode.
Next: tile 5, a university campus by the beach.
Video chapters
- 00:00Bikes patch: bike lanes on the boulevards
- 03:16Bike parking and choosing tile 4
- 05:57Why a rail yard was urgent
- 08:30Port extension and a separate entrance
- 12:46Parking under bridges, highway interchange
- 16:20Texturing tracks and the rail yard
- 19:24Concrete and dirt on the depot roof
- 22:51Final details and a used-car lot
Clicking a chapter starts the video above at that point.
FAQ
Do bikes slow down car traffic in Cities: Skylines 2?
They can. Without separate bike lanes, cyclists use the car lanes, which slows traffic. I widened the downtown boulevards from four to six lanes and added dedicated bike lanes to keep bikes off the car lanes.
Where should bike parking go?
Use the on-street bike racks from the bikes patch — they sit next to the road and don't eat into the sidewalk — and add a few bike garages for larger demand.
How do you stop the rail yard roof from looking too shiny?
Place dirt decals on the roof, but only along the visible edges. That breaks up the reflection in direct sunlight and makes the depot look used.