The stadium's empty parking lot had a simple cause: TM:PE's parking AI was switched off. With it on, cars park while the game runs. A viewer pointed out that my cargo airport was the small vanilla one, so on my fourth attempt I tear it down and build a custom cargo hub with the Airports DLC, with two on and off ramps, a rail link, fire and police. A second stadium starts a sports arena area, and public transport is clearly the next big job.
What happens in this episode
This could be my last city before Cities: Skylines II releases on 24 October. I’ll switch the moment it’s out. This episode has one minor fix and one major change.
How it was built
The parking AI
In Episode 34 the stadium’s parking lot stayed empty on match day. Googling led me to Reddit threads and a quick reply from the mod’s developer. The fix: enable the parking AI in TM:PE. Later in this episode, people were parking there while the match ran. The lot is probably too big for the area, but it looks right.
A real cargo airport
A viewer pointed out that my cargo airport was the vanilla one. It’s small, compact and manageable, but the Airports DLC offers so much more. So I tear down a lot of the district and build a custom cargo airport. It’s my fourth attempt: one recording failed, I had technical issues, and my first try at a custom airport went completely wrong.
The new hub has:
- two on and off ramps and a solid road network;
- a small fire station and a police station;
- a rail link to the existing network.
At first one truck entered, then more, then the first trains. Three planes, then four: it works.
The rail bridge
The same viewer didn’t like my rail bridge. I’d forgotten to use bridge mode properly. It’s rebuilt and connects smoothly with the existing rail network.
A sports arena area
Next to the football stadium, I start a sports arena area with another stadium. I’d love a soccer stadium, and baseball is reasonable too. As the city grows, there’s more room for sports and entertainment.
Public transport is next
Traffic is busy but okay. One junction needed only a priority-road fix. What Springvalley really lacks is public transport. No subway yet: first a monorail, maybe trams, and definitely more bus lines. A passenger airport will follow later. A separate power grid near the industry also needs a new power station.
Video chapters
- 00:00Why the parking lot stayed empty
- 04:20Rebuilding the cargo airport
- 12:13First trucks, trains and planes
- 16:49Fixing the rail bridge
- 21:36Parking works, a second stadium
- 25:41A sports arena area
- 29:45Public transport is next
Clicking a chapter starts the video above at that point.
FAQ
Why don't cars use my parking lots in Cities Skylines?
With TM:PE installed, enable the parking AI in its settings. Without it, parking lot mods have nothing to work with and cars just drive through.
What's the difference between the vanilla cargo airport and the Airports DLC?
The vanilla cargo airport is a compact single building. The Airports DLC lets you build a custom airport area with cargo terminals, aprons, runways and rail connections.
Should a cargo airport have fire and police stations?
Yes. Small dedicated stations keep response times short in a big industrial airport area.