Cities Skylines 2: Road Guide
Constructing an efficient road network is a critical yet often underestimated element of city-building in Cities Skylines 2. As the city planner, you’re tasked with ensuring that your citizens have access to housing, jobs, and essential services such as healthcare, water, and electricity. But the foundation that keeps your city’s heart beating is its roadways.
With the arrival of Cities Skylines 2, players are delving into the new road features, including the much-touted roundabouts, pondering over the best ways to lay out their urban creations. Our comprehensive review of Cities Skylines 2 dives into the notable enhancements introduced by Paradox, particularly the road system which has been significantly refined. To help your city operate seamlessly, here’s a guide to building a road system that ensures smooth traffic flow and city functionality in Cities Skylines 2.
Cities Skylines 2 Road Building Tricks
Road infrastructure is the lifeblood of your city in Cities Skylines 2, facilitating the flow of people, resources, and services. Proper road planning is crucial; neglecting it could bring your bustling metropolis to a grinding halt. To construct and sustain a road network that meets the demands of your growing city, here’s what you need to keep in mind:
Understanding Road Types
Before you start paving your city, familiarize yourself with the different road types at your disposal in Cities Skylines 2:
- Small Roads: Ideal for low-traffic residential areas, these roads minimize noise and enhance pedestrian safety.
- Medium Roads: A step up from small roads, these accommodate moderate traffic and are suitable for busier residential or light commercial areas.
- Large Roads: Designed for high-traffic zones, large roads can efficiently handle substantial volumes of vehicles. Use these in commercial hubs or as main arteries through your city.
- Highways: The backbone of inter-city travel, highways support the highest traffic volumes but don’t allow direct building access.
Strategic Placement
The key to effective road placement is understanding traffic flow. Highways are perfect for connecting different parts of your city and managing long-distance travel. However, for areas that require building access, large roads are your go-to. Place them strategically in commercial or industrial zones where traffic peaks.
Conversely, reserve small and medium roads for residential neighborhoods to maintain tranquility and safety. Be mindful of noise pollution and pedestrian accessibility when planning these quieter, more suburban stretches.
By mastering the road types and strategically planning their placement, you can build a road network that supports a dynamic, thriving city in Cities Skylines 2.
Constructing Grid Patterns and Parallel Roadways
The grid layout stands as a timeless and effective urban design, and Cities Skylines 2 simplifies its execution with a handy grid mode feature. This tool allows players to craft perfect grid patterns swiftly, ensuring every zoned area within the grid has convenient road access from all sides, optimizing traffic distribution.
Moreover, the game introduces a new functionality for laying parallel roads, streamlining the process of constructing multi-lane roadways. This is particularly useful when setting up one-way systems. Once the primary structure is laid out, these roads can be effortlessly converted into one-way streets, enhancing traffic flow management and accommodating high volumes of vehicles with ease.
The introduction of one-way highways in Cities Skylines 2 is a game-changer for traffic management, providing a robust solution for high-capacity traffic areas and granting players finer control over the direction and pace of traffic movement throughout their cities.
That’s your (parking) Lot
Parking is a vital component of urban planning in Cities Skylines 2, especially in densely populated areas where street space is scarce. To alleviate congestion and the scramble for curbside parking, strategically placed parking lots are essential. By providing ample parking facilities in high-traffic zones, you not only offer convenience to your citizens but also enable the expansion and optimization of your road network, facilitating smoother traffic flow where it’s most needed.
Maintain your Roads
Moreover, the longevity and efficiency of your roadways are contingent upon their maintenance. Neglecting this aspect can lead to a decline in traffic efficiency and potential safety risks. The Road Maintenance Depot in Cities Skylines 2 plays a critical role in preserving the integrity of your roads, dispatching maintenance vehicles to address any damage and ensuring roads are navigable during winter, thus maintaining the seamless movement of vehicles throughout your city.
Adjusting Traffic Flow on Cities Skylines 2 Roadways
For those who incorporate one-way roads into their city’s design in Cities Skylines 2, reversing the direction of traffic can be done swiftly and without incurring additional costs for demolition and reconstruction.
To alter the flow of traffic on a one-way road, follow these steps:
- Select the ‘Replace Tool’ from the ‘Tool Mode’ menu, identifiable by the icon featuring two squares and bidirectional arrows.
- Click and hold the left mouse button, then drag the cursor across the section of road whose direction you wish to change, moving in the opposite direction of the current traffic flow.
- Release the left mouse button to finalize the change.
With this knowledge, you’re equipped to fine-tune your road network in Cities Skylines 2. Understanding your map is crucial for anticipating traffic hotspots and planning accordingly with the right road sizes. To further customize your urban landscape, explore the upcoming Cities Skylines 2 DLC and discover the possibilities of mods in the new framework set by Paradox Interactive.
