The same rule still applies afaik... The problem you have taken a screenshot of, is not where it is caused. Further down the highway, will be your problem (or lack of options for cims to take).
I disagree, the problem/bug/jam .... is caused by a bad/bugged behaviour in lane usage and lane changing
merging, as others point out
Well that is a bug =) but that's not the issue I was talking about concerning lane utilization
both are similar, (my illustration is worth, 2 lane crossing at a time) but th OP pointed that unnecessary lane changing caused by the cars behaviour, is generating traffic jams
maybe it will be necessary furtherbut making this lane choice 10 killometers before change of direction generate congestion
in the same time a part of the flow will have changed path to go elsewhere
so making it later can be more efficient
on the OP's picture the cars want to go directly from the ramp to the central lane
vehicles shouldn't cross lanes, but insert on the first lane, pick up speed, adapt speed to insert beetween cars on the other lane, and after change lane
they should stay on a less congested lane instead of change immediately and if another change is required, make it later with the same behaviour (adapt, change)
Cars take the "final" lane too in advance (even inside city, on the avenues)
for example, 10 intersections in the futur, the car will turn left. so it takes the left-most lane when arriving on a path segment
even if there is a 10km traffic jam on the lane and two other empty lanes
your pathfinding algorithm seems to give too much consideration on the shortest lanes, with a loadbalancing based on the road usage
so even if a lane is full, the road load weight is 33%, and the traffic jam is not fully taken in consideration
associated with a path fully (lane by lane) establish ed in advance, it causes more congestion
maybe tha algorith should be splitted in two
a macro algorithm which choose segmentss/roads path when establishing the destination
and a micro algorithm which choose the lane when arriving on the current segment, a lane which permits to cross the next segment
this choice should be followed by the resulting number of lane changes, with a limit distance based on speed, and the distance to the "point of no return"
It would be nice to permit to edit the intersection combination (see on my shema the 2/3 roads turning signs) with a clicking toogle
weight is calculated with congestion, speed and distance
something like : weight = segmentWidth / segmentSpeed x congestionInPercent
all these values in a A* algorithm
and the road AI should finally work as expected by players !
@Azurespecter I hope you will report this to devs, I spent a little time on my reply ^^
on the schema, in the vertical part, the blue line choose immediately the final lane, even if the lane is fully congested and the turn left is not on this intersection but further
a more efficient pathfinding should choose the less congested lane to continue, and a little before the left turn change lane to could continue
