To give the angled main arterial a better way out, Springvalley builds a big three-lane roundabout (16 units across, sketched with country roads), removes nearby crossings and a school, adds library bus lines and the new articulated biofuel buses, an elevated walkway over the square, crematoriums, and a simple new highway interchange — traffic rises to about 78% and the city nears 20,000.
What happens in this episode
After all the fixes in episode 11, incoming traffic still piled up. The worst spot is the angled main arterial: it has several crossings, and going anywhere means detours. There’s some free space, so it’s time for a bigger roundabout. A viewer also suggested public transport near the library, which draws lots of people.
How it was built
A three-lane roundabout
I sketch roundabouts with country roads for an even circle. This one is 16 units across with three lanes. A new road crosses the residential area straight into it, and nearby crossings come out to limit problems. One commercial access becomes a big cul-de-sac. An elementary school on the arterial is removed, leaving a small green belt.
Library buses
A new free update brought articulated biofuel buses, so both college lines switch to them: more capacity, fewer people waiting on the roadside. New library lines run clockwise and counter-clockwise, with a different colour so problems are easy to spot. Two lines accidentally shared one stop, which didn’t help.
Lane management
Roundabouts are never set up properly by default. Pedestrian crossings near it came out, “go when you can” signs went in, and lane connectors. There are plenty of nodes where people can change lanes. The crematoriums finally arrived, which is much better than cemeteries, and the old cemeteries were emptied.
An elevated walkway
Pedestrians needed a way across, so a 9 m elevated walkway crosses the square in a circle with a cross in the middle, plus decorations and trees to reduce noise next to the roundabout. People started using it right away, and traffic cleared up almost magically.
A simple interchange
Two more tiles were bought, and a new arterial was laid out toward a future highway connection, with one of the simplest interchange designs for now. I’ll need something bigger later. Some mod issues after the latest update are on the mod side, not Paradox’s. Side roads take load off the arterials, because every crossing means stress. A stock investment in logistics, and Node Controller smoothing the ramps. Traffic reached about 78% and the city nears 20,000. And I read that Cities: Skylines II might unlock up to 150 tiles. I’m so excited.
Video chapters
- 00:00The angled arterial problem
- 04:09Building a three-lane roundabout
- 08:19Library bus lines and articulated buses
- 12:41Roundabout lane management
- 21:30Bus stops in the wrong place, crematoriums
- 26:19An elevated walkway
- 37:27New tiles and a simple interchange
- 47:31Side roads and stocks
- 52:07Ramps smoothed with Node Controller
- 56:47High-rises and CS2 excitement
Clicking a chapter starts the video above at that point.
FAQ
How big should a roundabout be?
Big enough for entering cars to change lanes. In Springvalley I built a 16-unit-wide, three-lane roundabout, sketched with country roads first for an even circle.
Are articulated buses worth it?
Yes for busy lines — a free update added articulated biofuel buses, which carry more people with fewer vehicles and fewer crowds waiting at the roadside.
Should bus stops sit on arterial roads?
Avoid it where you can. A stopped bus blocks a busy arterial; side streets are better.