A 2% tax rise lifts income, fans arrive in team colours on match day, and the monorail grows to three lines including a circle line. Then downtown jams so badly that the rest of the episode is traffic triage: lanes chosen too late, missing left turns, buses blocking two lanes, U-turners and curbside parking that slows everything down. I remove parking from almost every downtown road, extend the parking lots, trim bus vehicle counts and allow U-turns for the first time. Honestly, it's a confusing episode, and the city hovers between 70,000 and 75,000.
What happens in this episode
Since Episode 37, Springvalley has a big central station and a growing monorail, though it only covers the top half of the city so far. Income is high because I raised taxes 2% for everyone, and farming income fluctuates with harvests. On match day, the tourists from the red train were all dressed in red. You can tell how people arrived. The team had won every game until the last one.
How it was built
More monorail
New monorail stations go in, and there are now three lines, including a circle line. A new train station by the entertainment block has its parking used, but no passengers recorded yet.
The population problem
From above, Springvalley has a cargo airport, farming and forestry, downtown, entertainment districts and low-density areas, and only 71,000 citizens. That’s unreasonable. I don’t mind CS2 needing more RAM or CPU as long as the numbers get realistic. Services check out fine, and building levels are mostly maxed.
Then downtown locked up
Last episode’s traffic fix wasn’t a good idea, and the jam reached downtown. Garbage and hearses got stuck, so crematoriums went in, and some bus lines had disconnected. What I found:
- vehicles chose lanes too late, so I forced earlier decisions with lane arrows and dedicated turning lanes;
- a missing left turn sent cars around the block. Such a simple thing;
- buses blocked two lanes while turning;
- many drivers made U-turns.
Some pedestrian crossings had to go, sorry.
Curbside parking
Others have found that roadside parking slows roads down a lot. I removed parking from almost every downtown road, the bridge and the monorail roads, and extended the parking lots with tree lines. Cars immediately filled the lot. I suspect traffic and parking are a big part of why the city hovers between 70,000 and 75,000.
First U-turns, fewer buses
For the first time in any of my cities, I allowed U-turns, to see how many cars use them. Then I trimmed vehicle counts on half-empty bus lines. This episode was confusing and not well planned, and I got stuck. Next I’ll probably replan the bus network first, then public transport and roads. If you have a hint, please let me know.
Video chapters
- 00:00Taxes, the tower and match day
- 04:16Fans in red and new monorail stations
- 08:49Three monorail lines and population limits
- 13:36Service check, then a jam
- 17:44Crematoriums and broken bus lines
- 22:02A station plan, then panic
- 26:47Simplifying the roads
- 31:34Dedicated turning lanes
- 36:12The left turn I missed
- 41:08Buses blocking two lanes
- 45:09Removing curbside parking
- 49:29Bigger parking lots
- 53:35Is traffic capping the population?
- 57:37U-turns for the first time
- 1:01:43Fewer buses per line
Clicking a chapter starts the video above at that point.
FAQ
Does curbside parking slow down traffic in Cities Skylines?
It can. Cars parking and pulling out block a lane. On busy downtown roads, disable parking in TM:PE and provide parking lots instead.
Why do vehicles make so many U-turns and detours?
Often a missing turn permission or a lane choice that comes too late. Check that every needed turn is allowed and force lane decisions earlier with lane arrows.
Can too many buses cause traffic jams?
Yes. Lines with far more vehicles than passengers clog stops and junctions. Lower the vehicle count on lines that run half empty.