Cities: Skylines - Transit Design Theory & Transit Tips and Tricks (From a City Planner) NO MODS

Want to create a transit system for your city but don't know where to start? I've got you covered. I'll be going over a bit of transit design theory and providing transit tips and tricks on how to select the right transit type for your city.
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CHAPTERS

[CityPlannerPlays]

Just a tip - don't include this many bus routes in your city. Did so to illustrate the different types of routes.

[jaredlash]

Something to be aware of with transit in Cities Skylines is that each person waiting at a stop has a countdown that signifies when they're bored and decide to take an alternate mode of transportation, which is usually pulling a car out of their pocket and getting on the road. I don't remember the mod, but there is one that gives more information for each stop on a route. One of those bits is the "Time until bored". It starts at 255 and counts down to 0, decrementing 1 about every second.

This has implications for how you design a transit system in the game. If your stops are overcrowded, then you'll constantly be having people get bored and hop on the road in their car. If your stops are too far apart, for instance with one of your express buses, then by the time the bus returns then you'll have had plenty of people get bored. (That's why long routes get so many buses by default, even if there are few stops.)

You also need to consider where your Cims are going. They rarely (if ever?) go from residential to residential, so the people getting on mass transit in a residential area are either coming to the residential area to go to a residence, or they're trying to leave the residential area. (The same is true of the other types of zoning, parks, schools, etc.) This causes certain stops to become hot spots since often that stop will be the most efficient way of leaving that particular zoning block.

Above all else, this is a simulation with relatively predictable behavior and dynamics that are similar to, but still very different from real life.

[zifnab]

I can disable stops and traffic lights but I've seen at least 4 major traffic incidents in the video in those areas xD gonna be fun if Colossal Orders will implement car accidents in the future

[JediTev]

I'm a total beginner at this but I think I missed my calling in life. I love the transit aspect of this game as my career after the military has been in the transit field. (Currently I'm a tram/ light rail operator)
My first question is, how did you get from that quiet little lakeside town to this awesome metropolis? I copied a lot of what you did in the first video. I had to expand out towards the bridge. I looped the tram line next to the industrial area and added a paved path. I added a hospital on the residential side of the island towards the bridge. Added a bus route from the big peninsula down the main drag to the hospital. I'm looking forward to seeing what you did.
Second, have you ever considered doing a transit mall in a downtown area? Like what Portland had, with certain bus routes stopping at certain blocks and light rail down the middle? I'd like to see that work.

[johncipolla]

I love this nuance of the game . reminds me of the model train layouts I used to build when my dad was a live

[BenjaminDenverstone]

I’m a bit of a noob at Cities: Skylines so I appreciate these videos! Keep up the great work!

[BenjaminDenverstone]

Denver has a similar bus system. RTD runs buses by street number. For example: Colfax Avenue is 1500 so the east side of Colfax has the 15 and 15L. The 15 stops more often while the 15L is a limited bus and stops less often. Then there is the regional buses like the FF1 (Flatiron Flyer 1) or AT (Airport). Then RTD also runs rail in the form of light and commuter. These trains are lettered not numbered like the buses. The A Line is the Airport Commuter while the W Line is a light rail into the west side of metro Denver to Golden.

[damonseeley]

Thank you for this! Really helpful to understand the use cases per mode, and see express/local overlays.

[anonymousanonymity]

I like to use my bus hubs as almost like collectors for the bigger modes of transit (trains, metro etc). I didn’t realize until recently how good I could make them, although my bus routes are generally only a few stops at most. I mainly rely on massive sprawling metro systems with that big content creator pack metro hub at the middle of it

[eggelburt]

I’m really enjoying your videos. I’ve spent more time watching you build than I have building myself! This city looks amazing and I’d love to take a look around. Is there any place where it can be downloaded at all?

[zachheard]

Thank you so much for your videos and all the work that you put in explaining everything so well. It's because of your videos I finally got a city to 40K population. Am just now starting to run into some serious traffic issues. I'm going to revisit and try improving my transit. Also, do you happen to explain more about this "Articulated Bus Mod" more in another video?

[Hubbubb-citiesskylines]

What criteria do you apply when deciding whether your system is successful? I feel like my approach to transit isn't perfect, because often I worry that I end up with unnecessary redundancies. My current city is over 100k and I'm moving approx 11, 250 Cims / 2, 650 tourists -- roughly 14% of the population. Traffic flow is at 82-84%. I make mass transit free and keep my taxes at 12%. Treasury is around €10.5mil. Most of my routes show 100% car rides saved.

I use trams for those circular downtown routes, buses for local neighborhood circular routes, metro for citywide journeys, and trains for cross-regional. Then I add monorail as the city matures to connect strategic locations (eg airport to downtown train station, etc).

I fuss with it fairly regularly to keep enough vehicles/cars on each route/line so that I never have more Cims than the capacity of a vehicle waiting at any stop.

Based on the metrics above, I do think I'm doing OK, but I often wonder in what ways there might be flaws in my design that could be corrected to improve it.

[simonsv]

I have a fast commuter rail line and a slower metro line. I am planning to make bus lines transporting people around in different suburb, those connecting to metro or commuter train stations.

[daddydman]

Curious... I considered making a BUS ONLY traffic zone! Is it possible? I thought about say a downtown tourist trap with stadium, night clubs, restaurants, parks, and other fun stuff, probably within a mile by mile zone.... everything within? NO CARS! Possible? I mean, one can use bus only lanes, which I use for making many "Park n Ride" areas in my suburb areas, something we have in the metropolitan area where I live. Where multiple local bus routes can pull in and have one dedicated stop they share, with a few Express "commuter" routes next to those local stops, but have a second Express stops, where 2-3 Express buses share (different work zone destinations), and than a Taxi Stand and a parking lot... All congested in a small area, with bus only access using the highway bus only single lane for a short stretch connecting to a 3 lane one way with bus lane, so I can add that "Express stop" i mentioned, and no other vehicle traffic can enter that small segment, because it's accessible by Busses only, and an exit with a one way to have a drive way/ bus stop connection.

SO... I understand the concept, and I know that works on a small scale! BUT. what about a large scale mile by mile zone (or whatever the size in game is in variation). A stadium, with local bus lane streets crossing each other? Maybe trams can access, Metro below can pass through, but the only way these transit enter the area is through Bus only lanes from the public throughway?? And than with access to the public at the edge of this "Hypothetical transit only accessible zone" having multiple LARGE parking garages with Trams passing each and entering the tourist trap, and than exit... So if the mile by mile despite having car accessible streets crisscrossed, each other within the zone, would this be efficient? Of course, allowing plenty of walking paths for pedestrians to get in by foot... but all accessible ONLY by transit? I'd be curious if your smart engineering mind could create this!!

I've put a lot of thought into it (Obviously? 👆👆Right!? 🤨😁), and considered doing so... but haven't put any effort into creating said zone... YET! Not sure how I'd break ground!
Still in the process of learning the game, exploring all there is among 2 or 3 cities! And even trying to make my own YT about City Skylines (I have a couple videos, stop by)! Still, nothing compared to your city expertise! ALSO. I'm on Xbox!

EDIT; Potential problems I've considered? Emergency services, as well as trash and death-care as well? They would be blocked by the Bus only entries! Could be a problem? Maybe adding those services within the zone? Could work, but only if the Exits were bus only as well, otherwise the service vehicles would leave to answer calls elsewhere, and never return!? So again... I'm at a stand still!

[smaurine]

Do you have a tutorial that explains in more detail how to use each transit option? I really new the the game and the only one I have figured out is city buses.

[Mike-mzcm]

Such a nice and thoughtful looking city. I like the landscaping, I like the irregular road network at time, and things like putting the train station backing onto a major road with tram. That's thinking.

Really enjoy your videos - my estj personality type enjoys the logic and problem solving nature of urban planning 🙂

[crumbs]

Nice. I can see that some lanes are congested however, what I usually do is give public transport dedicated slip roads, and ban parking on roads with high expected activity using the TM:PE mod.
I can also see the appeal of free public transport to reduce overall traffic, and realistically speaking; pollution.
I'd go the extra mile and add in toll booths on city entrances to further discourage the citizens to purchase private vehicles, and y'know, abuse the rich.

[johnrobinson]

10:26 - is there a bus line bringing everyone to the ferry / subway station?

[AlexGoldhill]

An idea I'm thinking of trying out is pairing different types of transit with the road heirarchy. Trains with Highways, Monorail with Arterials, Trams with Collectors and Busses to connect residential areas to collectors. Throw in Metros and underground rail to provide long distance express routes, a good quality cycle network and walkable areas and a few taxis to round things out.

[eugenecoleman]

Don't under estimate the cable car! It cab move A LOT of people from one place to a other