Single Lane Traffic BUG

[theotherDog]

I am sure this has been covered, in fact, I find threads from 2015 complaining about traffic on a three-lane highway forming into one lane of traffic, for miles! But why hasn't it been fixed?

I have watched numerous video tutorials on how to workaround this bug, but most require the player to game the code, rather than play the city building game.

I understand why traffic takes the shortest route, but there is no justifiable reason why traffic on a three-lane highway would form into one lane of traffic. If there is a three-lane road in the game, traffic should use three lanes.

Single lane traffic jams are not realistic within a city simulation, and single lane traffic jams are no fun within a city building game. Colossal Order or Paradox Interactive need to take this seriously and fix the Single Lane Traffic BUG.


FYI, I have over 100 hours in the game and I can fix most traffic problems, including single lane traffic jams. I enjoy fixing traffic problems that are the fault of my road design, but fixing single lane traffic jams is no fun.

 

[Samson1971]

This is not a bug.

If most of the traffic wants to enter a residential area, commercial area or industrial park, the main road must pass through the middle of this area.

This distributes the traffic to all lanes.

In the real world this would also be the case if there were central residential, commercial and industrial areas.

Of course, traffic in the real world would be distributed to all lanes, but just before the exit to the desired area, they would all get into the lane for the exit, which would result in a traffic jam, and that on all lanes.

In the game it's meant that the traffic that doesn't use the exit can continue unhindered and thus reach its destination.

Here are the road priorities.
Airplane & Ships (300)
Train tracks (150)
Motorway/expressway (100)
Motorway entrance and exit (80)
Six-lane road (60)
Ferry and Blimps (50)
Four-lane avenue (50)
Cycle paths and separate bicycle lanes on roads (50)
two lanes (40)
gravel road (30)
pavements (20)
Pavements at the roadside (12,5)

 

[Adramelramalech]

This is not a bug.

If most of the traffic wants to enter a residential area, commercial area or industrial park, the main road must pass through the middle of this area.

This distributes the traffic to all lanes.

In the real world this would also be the case if there were central residential, commercial and industrial areas.

Of course, traffic in the real world would be distributed to all lanes, but just before the exit to the desired area, they would all get into the lane for the exit, which would result in a traffic jam, and that on all lanes.

In the game it's meant that the traffic that doesn't use the exit can continue unhindered and thus reach its destination.

Here are the road priorities.
Airplane & Ships (300)
Train tracks (150)
Motorway/expressway (100)
Motorway entrance and exit (80)
Six-lane road (60)
Ferry and Blimps (50)
Four-lane avenue (50)
Cycle paths and separate bicycle lanes on roads (50)
two lanes (40)
gravel road (30)
pavements (20)
Pavements at the roadside (12,5)

Yeah you are wrong. It is indeed a bug. I have no idea how you think otherwise, guess you don't play this game. They always and only travel in one lane. You can make every single road in your city 6 lane and they still will only use one lane. And the entire traffic is a bug. They appear out thin air, stop for no reason and THEY DO NOT take the shortest route, they take the dumbest route. Because of the dumb traffic AI, the game is ruined. Like OP said, I have also spent hours and hours and days and days making a wonderful city for it to be destroyed by unnecessary and ridiculous traffic.

 

[Fox_NS_CAN]

Yeah you are wrong. It is indeed a bug. I have no idea how you think otherwise, guess you don't play this game. They always and only travel in one lane. You can make every single road in your city 6 lane and they still will only use one lane. And the entire traffic is a bug. They appear out thin air, stop for no reason and THEY DO NOT take the shortest route, they take the dumbest route. Because of the dumb traffic AI, the game is ruined. Like OP said, I have also spent hours and hours and days and days making a wonderful city for it to be destroyed by unnecessary and ridiculous traffic.

My current city has 6 squares and 93k population, NO mods. Average Traffic Flow: 82% (nothing to brag about, but reasonably decent.)

The worst part is the section of highway on the top right starting in Aldershot, going down to Applewood Heights. It's where the city started and it is divided highway with road intersections (a generally bad design decision). The traffic is heavier there, but it isn't disastrous, so I never changed it.

Multiple lanes in use. Yes, heavier in some lanes, but not all in one, as the traffic has different destinations.

Second one is the highway/road intersection, six lanes. Most going left, but all in use.

Edit: There was a ";" where there should have been a ":".

 

[Samson1971]

Sorry, if you don't know the priorities of the streets, this can happen.

I have played over 1400 hours, about half of it, I have studied the streets and the scouting.

For example, if you use a 6 lane one-way street, to the left you enter a residential area, to the right you enter a commercial area and straight ahead you enter an industrial area.

In the following picture you can see very nicely how the traffic is distributed accordingly on the lanes (red marking).

If from a feeder road, further subordinate roads left and right of branchings, e.g. in the residential area, then the traffic will also distribute itself accordingly on the lanes, some want to go into the left area and others into the right area.

 

[Adramelramalech]

This wrong. I am baffled I am even arguing this and I baffled you don't see the issue. There is a design flaw with the traffic. The traffic only uses one lane. Then why is there 4 lane and 6 lane roads? There is no reason at all for traffic to travel in one lane only when there is literally two lanes the entire length of there trip.

 

[Adramelramalech]

https://1drv.ms/v/s!ArXmGzW0FYlHwR8BQBCzs-lHLG9i?e=HTZS64

One lane traffic for zero reason but I am wrong. Okay Mr. 1400 hours, what is the issue?

 

[ristosal]

One lane traffic for zero reason but I am wrong. Okay Mr. 1400 hours, what is the issue?

Thanks for the video. Let's address some things.

1) The massive tourist attraction area with airport and harbor. First of all I don't even care if they're in one lane or not at this point, because there are no measures to get those private cars off the road in the first place. There's no other way for people to get in and out of the area than by car because there's no public transit, and of course there's only one road in and out as well.
2) Tourist area with four(!) football stadiums. Again, major sources of private traffic behind one intersection. No metro, no monorail, nothing
3) Lilac Fields. Export traffic is forced to detour close to the interchange near the tourist area, because it lacks a more direct alternative to travel the other way. The four lane road is causing some funky things as well because vehicles aren't allowed to cross the median; move some buildings to two lane side roads to remedy this.
4) City overview. The best footage is right at the end when the whole city is visible at once. It shows a limited road network where traffic is always forced on the highway at some point, lacking more direct local alternatives between areas to distribute volume. This is a fairly common design flaw among people who play this game. Combined with a severe lack of efficient public transit it's a recipe for disaster.
5) Six lanes is pointless for roundabouts. When a roundabout needs to handle larger volumes of traffic, make it a three lane highway so that the AI is more likely to use it in full capacity.

If you do the public transit and road network fixes properly, the one lane issue becomes much more diminished and potentially not even a problem at all. Public transit alone can cut off the tailbacks by at least 30% with the current design.

 

[Adramelramalech]

You know the more and more I talk to you people the more and more I get confused baffled and amazed. I guess you all are okay with spending all this money on a backwords game. I have no idea what you are talking about. What are you talking about? My airport and harbour is in a small area with direct access to the highway. How is that wrong? It's not. Once again I will keep saying this until the day I die, THERE IS TWO LANES THE ENTIRE LENGTH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! They are using one lane. One more time, if that is the case, then why is there 4 and 6 lane roads? Either there is a design flaw or the devs uselessly added in 4 and 6 lane roads. it's one or the other. Public transportation? I have no idea how you missed the hundreds of trains, monrails, trams, cable cars and busses and taxis. Not sure how you missed that? Lilac fields? I was forced by the game to build there.

It shows a limited road network where traffic is always forced on the highway at some point, lacking more direct local alternatives between areas to distribute volume.
That causes more problems than anything, local routes. I have tried every single thing possible to fix traffic. It cant be fixed. Then why are there guides saying to do this then?

Your highway roundabouts is a flop and does not work. I replace all mine with highways last night and traffic movement went down 3%

I am going to have to give up here and take a loss. I am so baffled that everyone on here is so truly convinced that the game is working right. It is not. No matter what I say or what I show people just clearly dismiss the actual physical proof that there is a one lane bug, glitch or flaw, whatever it is. I am glad you appreciate wasting your money but I don't.

What is going to be funny is i am waiting, so waiting for cities skylines 2, because I am pretty sure that they will fix this bug and then I will come onto here and show you all up

 

[Adramelramalech]

Thanks for the video. Let's address some things.

1) The massive tourist attraction area with airport and harbor. First of all I don't even care if they're in one lane or not at this point, because there are no measures to get those private cars off the road in the first place. There's no other way for people to get in and out of the area than by car because there's no public transit, and of course there's only one road in and out as well.
2) Tourist area with four(!) football stadiums. Again, major sources of private traffic behind one intersection. No metro, no monorail, nothing
3) Lilac Fields. Export traffic is forced to detour close to the interchange near the tourist area, because it lacks a more direct alternative to travel the other way. The four lane road is causing some funky things as well because vehicles aren't allowed to cross the median; move some buildings to two lane side roads to remedy this.
4) City overview. The best footage is right at the end when the whole city is visible at once. It shows a limited road network where traffic is always forced on the highway at some point, lacking more direct local alternatives between areas to distribute volume. This is a fairly common design flaw among people who play this game. Combined with a severe lack of efficient public transit it's a recipe for disaster.
5) Six lanes is pointless for roundabouts. When a roundabout needs to handle larger volumes of traffic, make it a three lane highway so that the AI is more likely to use it in full capacity.

If you do the public transit and road network fixes properly, the one lane issue becomes much more diminished and potentially not even a problem at all. Public transit alone can cut off the tailbacks by at least 30% with the current design.

Yup your right. I have public transit going every where but that one problem area

 

[Adramelramalech]

Yup, why would building a metro be simple. Why is there no undergroundview only? Spent 15 minutes fighting to make a metro just to quit without saving because it just wont work. I have no idea how any one is playing this game and having fun. Waste of money

 

[metacritical]

Yup, why would building a metro be simple. Why is there no undergroundview only? Spent 15 minutes fighting to make a metro just to quit without saving because it just wont work. I have no idea how any one is playing this game and having fun. Waste of money

stop playing then.

 

[TTJ]

I am going to have to give up here and take a loss. I am so baffled that everyone on here is so truly convinced that the game is working right. It is not. No matter what I say or what I show people just clearly dismiss the actual physical proof that there is a one lane bug, glitch or flaw, whatever it is. I am glad you appreciate wasting your money but I don't.

What is going to be funny is i am waiting, so waiting for cities skylines 2, because I am pretty sure that they will fix this bug and then I will come onto here and show you all up

You sound to me like the wrong-way-driver who is trying to prove the thousand car drivers coming towards him that THEY are wrong. But please go on with this comedy, I happen to find it quite amusing!

A have now watched the full video, especially the last seconds with the city overview, and I can assure you, that your road layout is the problem. There is only one single way to get from the left side of your city to the right side, and this way is far too long. Why do you not prolong the road coming from the amusement park on the left to the right side? The part between Chestnut Park and Heather Square is one big bottleneck, because it is the only entrance to that large area on the right. Add a highway exit between Chestnut Park and Heather Square and it will probably help. Add another exit north of Middle District and you will see some improvement. Another one left of Briar Rose District. Also why is there no direct road connection between Meddow Zoological Park and Sheffield Hights? And none between Sheffield Hights/Kent Park and Belmont Woods? And why is the unnamed district in the lower left corner not connected to the highway which runs directly next to it? I could go on forever! The key is to SPLIT the traffic, then they will use all lanes.

Sorry, but if you even fail to draw a metro line, the game is probably too challenging for you!

 

[Adramelramalech]

Listen. I have tried everything. I put a road from there to there it will just be red. I put roads any where connecting anything, red.. there is nothing that can be done about the traffic nothing. Once again it is the game. I don't understand what you are not understanding. Everything makes this game look so awesome but once you play it your like what am I playing? I have now applied all your ideas, all are failed. Public transportation, no effect, metro, no affect randomly adding roads makes it worse. There will be no traffic if these people use both lanes. There was a originally a road connecting but it was red. Then I added that long road but somehow that is wrong. Then I see i have this massive cable car system that no one is using? Let me guess thats also how the game was made? Metro, really? Why is there no underground view button? Why can I not connect a subway to a pre existing subway? there is a monster issue with this game and it solely lays on the fact the traffic is dumb. I can't do this any more. I wasted my money on such a promising game for it to be ruined by flaws and defects in the game. Nothing can solve the traffic, nothing!!!!!!!!!!!!! And the only solve is two lane usage!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[akeela84]

Developers have already in 2015/2016 announced that they wont change anything in the behavior for traffic. I assume to many calculations that would lead to cripple to many low spec PC's.
Some modders do not agree and have created this wonderful mod:
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=583429740
If you do not like to use mods then go and cry in another corner of the internet.

 

[AquilaSol]

This is not a bug.

It doesn't matter how many times you say "Wrong", it won't change that.

Vehicles take the shortest, most direct route to their destination. That's how they've been programmed. They check each lane to see which one leads directly to their destination, and they avoid lanes that don't. They choose based on pure, simple, cold maths. Not emotions, personal preferences, or which lane looks emptier or faster. They're computer bots, not humans.

If you have a 6 lane road where everyone wants to go right, they will all take the right most lane because that lane is the most direct.

And yes, traffic is "dumb". Because if the traffic was smart, your computer would not be able to run the game.

 

[28rommel]

My current city has 6 squares and 93k population, NO mods. Average Traffic Flow; 82% (nothing to brag about, but reasonably decent.)
(Image)

Same here.
I have about 8-1/2 squares and over 180K population. NO mods. Average Traffic Flow fluctuates between 86 to 90%.

I don't own Industries, so I don't have that to contend with.
Everyone has their own style of playing and design, but mine (and my general advice) is this ...

- Extend and use your highway (freeway) system though the middle of your city. Think of your highway as a super-road and get it involved in moving vehicles around. This means that you also need to have a good on/off ramp design/system. Have various on/off ramps. Not too many, but not too few and don't place them too close to one another along the highway.
(If you want to try the on/off ramp that I designed shown in the image above, here is a direct link to it in Steam Workshop ... https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1653108793 ).
- Don't build gigantic industry districts. Instead, build smaller ones and spread them around, everywhere on your map/city. This will help disperse traffic and have industry truck (the tractor and trailer) traffic making left and right turns everywhere, and they also use various on/off ramps and not just one or two. Do the same with your commercial, but you can get away with them being a-little bit bigger (medium) in size, since delivery vans are not as bad as industry trucks.
(PS: There will be exceptions, like trying to take advantage of a large oil field, so you place a large-ish commercial zone here. But try to design and disperse traffic as much as possible, to various roads in these special areas.)
- About 95% of all my main arterial roads (these are the 4 lane and 6 lane roads) in my entire city, have Office zoned alongside them (in addition to service structures, parks, unique buildings, etc). I do NOT zone industry or commercial along the main roads, because the industry trucks and commercial delivery vans make deliveries in front of such zoning, and this stops/slows down all traffic temporarily on these main roads.

 

[Timmysoboy]

So, I’m sure I’m just parroting everyone else at this point as I see many of the hard-core members of the forum already pitched in, but here’s my 2c:

You need to consider the entire route of the traffic. I noticed one clip of the video ended at a six lane road meeting a four lane road. As such, the six lane road had two turn lanes onto the four lane road, but only the furthest right turn lane was getting used. This is because the traffic on the six lane road intended on turning right onto the four lane road, then right again afterwards. I would recommend opening up more access points to the destination so all the traffic does not rely on the one entrance. If done correctly, your road network should easily be able to handle all traffic without public transit (though it doesn’t hurt).

Soon to come, a picture of my favorite interchange with high lane utilization.

 

[Timmysoboy]

Here's that intersection I promised. That is a traffic light interchange heading out of town using the main exit to the highway. The city's downtown was designed roughly after Minneapolis. I got it up to 140k, then regretfully killed it by trying out mods (only used 81 tiles and unlimited network connections, but I'm technologically illiterate).

*edit* aaaaaand now I miss the crap out of this city... never again with mods...

 

[Fox_NS_CAN]

You might like to know, it has been researched at the University: