I've started to build cities with streets instead of roads a few years ago because I think the SAM looks 10x nicer, especially with all the trees. But I wonder if the lower traffic capacity of streets has a negative effect on the growth of my city. Does anyone know if the traffic capacity influences what level of buildings you get?
Next to SAM I'm using NAM and CAMelot, just in case these mods have a different influence.
I've never seen negative things with streets instead of roads, except that I always get the blood red color for traffic(meaning very congested), and the constant nags about upgrading the street to handle more. Usually that always happens in the medium and high density zones, low not so much.
While I don't build streets exclusively, in most cases I do build them predominantly. I usually build roads every few blocks, but the thoroughfares in between are streets. I get accused of having too many streets and not enough roads, and I see red on the congestion maps at times. There are usually a few roads or avenues to ease the traffic jams, though, so it's not too bad.
Quote from: metarvo on May 20, 2012, 05:50:32 AM
While I don't build streets exclusively, in most cases I do build them predominantly. I usually build roads every few blocks, but the thoroughfares in between are streets. I get accused of having too many streets and not enough roads, and I see red on the congestion maps at times. There are usually a few roads or avenues to ease the traffic jams, though, so it's not too bad.
Thats how I do it. I have an avenue, then intersecting that is a road, and the housing is off of streets that connect to the road that goes to the avenues. I never develop the roads or avenues except in commercial districts
never zone more than low density arround the streets.
consequently - there's no much growth in low density areas, but you get high wealth inhabitants over there by the time - so it's worth
Commercial and residential high density will need an avenue by the time - leave place for it.
If you upgrade all streets to roads, you'll get message "roads are fine but we are missing streets"
If a lot of transit traffic is routed via streeted area, consider cutting multiple connections to avenues on the opposite sides of the area. Or delete one crossstreet in the middle and put bus stop instead. I will take a lot of area people away, but will cut of the transit.
Mostly, I build streets for local traffic, roads as transit routes and avenues mostly in bigger cities or if roads are congested. Dead ends or culs de sac increase traffic jams, because people may have to drive a longer way. If you build a road that is slightly longe, but has less intersections and leads to the same target point, traffic won't short cut through areas. another way of traffic reducing is to use oneway roads and streets that can only be used by buses.
I don't think I've ever had problems with streets limiting development. In fact I often have blocks of streets sprout high rises when the conditions are right. Then of course they have to be upgraded for the congestion that causes, but it doesn't stop the buildings from growing in the first place.