A low quay node leaks water and gets raised. An office plaza with bamboo groves brings green space downtown, an underperforming stock investment is sold, and then a complete traffic blockage takes over: oversized two-lane turn roads are downsized, small roundabouts lack room for lane changes, lane connectors and junction signs are reset — and a public library next to the highway ramps turns out to be a major traffic magnet.
What happens in this episode
Episode 10 added university buildings, a new arterial road to the highway and the first office zones. Before starting, I checked the new quay walls: one node was slightly too low and water spilled over, so it was raised until the last puddle drained.
How it was built
An office plaza
A small plaza should make the office and commercial area more appealing and fit next to the stock exchange. In the investments, the deathcare fund kept rising while forestry stayed flat, so I sold the forestry one. The plaza turned into a bridge because of a tiny height difference. I had no texture mods for paving, so bamboo groves went in, placed by hand when the line tool misbehaved. I love bamboo, and I have some in my garden. Walking through a bamboo forest in Japan is amazing.
A complete blockage
Bodies weren’t collected because hearses were stuck in traffic. With pedestrians, cyclists and service vehicles hidden from view, the problem was clear: trucks and cars were all stuck on one road, waiting for nothing. Junction signs, priority roads and no pedestrian crossings near the highway got things moving a little.
Oversized roads
Looking closer, everything was oversized: two-lane turning roads where one lane is enough, and four-lane roads crammed between crossings. Lane connectors were reset. The two small roundabouts don’t give entering cars enough room to switch lanes, so drivers were sent through other districts. Income was dropping too, with about 869,000 still in the bank. Every junction was set to “go whenever you can”.
The library
Traffic slowly climbed back to 74–76%. The surprise was a public library in a prominent spot right next to the highway, generating so much traffic that it broke the on- and off-ramps. I hadn’t known libraries cause that much. Short distances between crossings and the 12×12 blocks don’t help either. It’s all pattern recognition. Next episode will be purely about traffic. I keep learning from creators like Biffa, the lane management expert, and City Planner Plays.
Video chapters
- 00:00A leaking quay
- 03:21An office plaza and stock investments
- 08:03No textures, so bamboo groves
- 11:36A complete traffic blockage
- 15:29Junction signs and priority
- 19:44Oversized roads downsized
- 23:42Small roundabouts and lost income
- 27:14Everything on green
- 30:37The library next to the highway
- 38:08Learning from other creators
Clicking a chapter starts the video above at that point.
FAQ
Can a public library cause traffic in Cities: Skylines?
Yes. In Springvalley a library placed right next to highway ramps drew so much traffic that the on- and off-ramps jammed.
Why are small roundabouts a problem?
Cars entering need room to change lanes. In a very small roundabout there isn't enough space, so drivers get sent through other districts or block the ring.
How do you diagnose a traffic jam?
Hide pedestrians, cyclists and service vehicles in the traffic view, follow individual cars, and check junction signs, lane connectors and road sizes one by one — it's pattern recognition.