Tarkusian Cities (Update 107-08/23/2020-West Chemeketa Reconfig, Part 1)

[Tarkus]

The MD that's always "under construction": Tarkusian Cities follows the travails of various municipal transportation bodies across a number of different SC4 regions in an "alternate universe" version of Western North America.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

LATEST UPDATE:
UPDATE 107 (8/23/2020)-West Chemeketa Reconfig, Part 1

NOTE: Due to changes in imagehosting availability over the years (ImageShack's conversion to a paid model, and Majhost's closure), images from Updates 6, 9, 13, 14, and 39 through 86 are currently unavailable.  Rest assured, the images still reside safely on my hard drive(s), but due to the sheer number of missing images, RL and other SC4 commitments, and the effort that it will take to restore them, there is no timeline for when the lost images will be restored.  Apologies for the inconvenience, and thank you for your understanding and patience. -Alex/Tarkus

INTRO (6/17/2007) (see below)
UPDATE 1 (7/1/2007)--Mosaic of Downtown Wakeman
UPDATE 2 (7/3/2007)--Obligatory Curvy Road Mosaic
UPDATE 3 (7/5/2007)--Wide S-Curve Tutorial
UPDATE 4 (7/8/2007)--Construction+Map
UPDATE 5 (8/3/2007)--Mini-Mosaic and More Construction
UPDATE 6 (8/29/2007)--Argentum Revisted--Part 1
UPDATE 7 (9/3/2007)--More Construction in Wakeman
UPDATE 8 (9/6/2007)--Suburbia Arrives
UPDATE 9 (9/15/2007)--Map Fever Part I, Sneak Peek at Highway 32
UPDATE 10 (10/1/2007)--Gilmour Parkway Project, Phase 1
UPDATE 11 (10/5/2007)--Argentum Revisited--Part 2
UPDATE 12 (10/6/2007)--Argentum Revisited--Part 3
UPDATE 13 (10/8/2007)--Argentum Proposed Highway Plan
UPDATE 14 (10/8/2007)--The Highway Plan in Action . . .
UPDATE 15 (11/1/2007)--Traffic Data and Highway 104 Preview
UPDATE 16 (11/11/2007)--The MIS Arrives . . .
UPDATE 17 (11/19/2007)--Highway 61 Revisted, Gray Creek
UPDATE 18 (12/30/2007)--Mmm . . . Bulldozers . . .
UPDATE 19 (1/2/2008)--Grevano Drive Project, Angstrom, Pt 1
Update 19.5/Teaser (1/4/2008)--Map Teaser
UPDATE 20 (1/15/2008)--Grevano Drive Widening/Interchange
UPDATE 21 (1/23/2008)--Map Tutorial
UPDATE 22 (2/4/2008)--Old Highway Meets New, Part I
UPDATE 23 (2/8/2008)--Downtown Argentum at Night+Mosaic
UPDATE 24 (2/12/2008)--Old Highway Meets New, Part 2
UPDATE 25 (2/29/2008)--Milpont/Gaffner Corridor Project, Pt. 1
Update 25.5/Teaser (3/25/2008)--Teaser with 2 New mods . . .
UPDATE 26 (4/6/2008)--Just Like 22nd Street--er, Avenue
UPDATE 27 (4/11/2008)--Wakeman Blvd Gets 5-Laned
UPDATE 28 (5/18/2008)--Wakeman: 22nd Ave Extension
UPDATE 29 (6/17/2008)--1st Anniversary
UPDATE 30 (6/24/2008)--Peninsula City
UPDATE 31 (7/3/2008)--A New Airport?
Update 31.5 (7/9/2008)--Argentum Map Teaser
UPDATE 32 (7/15/2008)--The BIG Argentum Map, First Draft
UPDATE 33 (7/30/2008)--Argentum Blvd North End Realign
UPDATE 34 (8/1/2008)--Parallel-Peninsula Corridor Project
UPDATE 35 (8/21/2008)--Introducing the City of Los Endos
UPDATE 36 (8/28/2008)--Los Endos, Highway 33 Realignment
UPDATE 37 (8/29/2008)--Highway 94/33 Interchange
Update 37.5 (9/12/2008)--Expanded Los Endos Map Teaser
UPDATE 38 (9/25/2008)--Los Endos Blvd Widening
UPDATE 39 (10/3/2008)--Wakeman "Mystery Highway" Complete?
UPDATE 40 (10/24/2008)--S. Wakeman Corridor/TDOT Overview
UPDATE 41 (10/30/2008)--Lenox
UPDATE 42 (11/4/2008)--Highway 151/Sealey Way Intersection
Update 42.25 (12/1/2008)--The Calm Before The Storm . . .
UPDATE 43 (12/18/2008)--The Storm Arrives--as a Freeway
UPDATE 44 (1/21/2009)--Los Endos Blvd Widening-Foothill
UPDATE 45 (1/24/2009)--Highway 94/65th Street Interchange
UPDATE 46 (2/18/2009)--Tartan Corridor and Other Projects
UPDATE 47 (3/17/2009)--Jan Haskins Pkwy and Other Projects
UPDATE 48 (3/24/2009)--Highway 94-Ardent Road Interchange
UPDATE 49 (4/30/2009)--Squire
UPDATE 50 (5/3/2009)--Tarkusian Videos?!
UPDATE 51 (5/15/2009)--More E. Los Endos Construction
UPDATE 52 (6/23/2009)--Downtown Los Endos
UPDATE 53 (6/24/2009)--NE 57th Street Extension-Los Endos
Update 53.5 (7/27/2009)--Big Los Endos Regional Map Teaser
UPDATE 54 (9/6/2009)--I'll Be The Roundabout
UPDATE 55 (9/20/2009)--Arboris
UPDATE 56 (10/27/2009)--Brinstar Road Project, Phase I
UPDATE 57 (11/1/2009)--Seven Islands Pkwy, Phase I
UPDATE 58 (11/22/2009)--Welcome back, my friends . . .
UPDATE 59 (11/30/2009)--Chemeketa: Ashcroft/5th Widening
UPDATE 60 (4/30/2010)--Chemeketa: 16th Ave NE Widening
UPDATE 61 (5/18/2010)--Chemeketa: 15th/16th Ave Couplet
UPDATE 62 (6/10/2010)--Chemeketa: A Look Around
UPDATE 63 (7/17/2010)--Chemeketa: Wallace Corridor Project
UPDATE 64 (10/4/2010)--Chemeketa: Wallace Corridor Pt. 2
UPDATE 65 (2/10/2011)--Chemeketa: Wallace Corridor Pt. 3
UPDATE 66 (2/13/2011)--Chemeketa: Downtown/Hwy 36 Mosaic
UPDATE 67 (2/16/2011)--Chemeketa: Northern Crossing, Part 1
UPDATE 68 (2/20/2011)--Chemeketa: Northern Crossing, Part 2
UPDATE 69 (2/25/2011)--Chemeketa: Northern Crossing, Part 3
UPDATE 70 (3/7/2011)--Chemeketa: Northern Crossing, Part 4
UPDATE 71 (3/14/2011)--Chemeketa Parkway, Phase 1.1
UPDATE 72 (3/26/2011)--Chemeketa Parkway, Phase 1.2
UPDATE 73 (4/3/2011)--Chemeketa "Mosaicfest"
UPDATE 74 (4/17/2011)--Chemeketa: Rankine-Dallas Corridor, Part 1
UPDATE 75 (6/3/2011)--Chemeketa: Rankine-Dallas Corridor, Part 2
UPDATE 76 (6/6/2011)--Chemeketa: Aldrin Way/Dallas Drive Improvements
UPDATE 77 (6/15/2011)--Chemeketa: 52nd Ave NE Widening, Phase 1
UPDATE 78 (6/23/2011)--Chemeketa: McCabe Street Extension
UPDATE 79 (7/14/2011)--Chemeketa: Tower Loop NE Extension
UPDATE 80 (7/22/2011)--Chemeketa: 52nd Ave Project, Part 2.1
INTERLUDE (10/30/2011)--Moving Forward
UPDATE 81 (12/17/2011)--Chemeketa: 52nd Ave Project, Part 2.2
UPDATE 82 (12/22/2011)--Chemeketa: 52nd Avenue Project, Part 3
UPDATE 83 (1/1/2012)--Chemeketa: Hwy 15--39th Avenue NE Interchange
UPDATE 84 (1/4/2012)--Chemeketa: Scarlet Street NE Extension
UPDATE 85 (1/15/2012)--Chemeketa: Chemeketa Parkway, Phase 2: Introducing Highway 215
UPDATE 86 (2/5/2012)--Chemeketa: Chemeketa Parkway, Phase 3A
UPDATE 87 (3/20/2012)--Chemeketa: Chemeketa Parkway, Phase 3B
UPDATE 88 (3/22/2012)--Chemeketa: Chemeketa Parkway, Phase 4
UPDATE 89 (4/23/2012)--Chemeketa: Wallace Road NW Widening
UPDATE 90 (4/27/2012)--Chemeketa: Greenwich Extension Bridge, Highway 221 Work
UPDATE 91 (8/14/2012)--Chemeketa: Highway 36/Sorenson Street Project, Part 1
UPDATE 92 (8/17/2012)--Chemeketa: Highway 36/Sorenson Street Project, Part 2
UPDATE 93 (8/30/2012)--Chemeketa: East Chemeketa Developments
UPDATE 94 (9/3/2012)--Chemeketa: Eriksen/Scarlet Corridor Project, Phase 1
UPDATE 95 (10/21/2012)--Chemeketa: Eriksen/Scarlet Corridor Project, Phase 2
UPDATE 96 (11/16/2012)--Tarkusian Cities: Old and New
UPDATE 97 (11/19/2012)--Chemeketa: Region Views
UPDATE 98 (5/10/2013)--Chemeketa: 15th/16th Ave Couplet Extension
UPDATE 99 (6/10/2013)--New Argentum: A Couple Couplets, Part 1
UPDATE 100 (11/29/2013)-Chemeketa Planning-OSITM 1
UPDATE 101 (11/30/2013)-Chemeketa Red Line Pt. 2-OSITM 2
UPDATE 102 (12/3/2013)-Chemeketa Red Line Pt. 3
UPDATE 103 (6/14/2017)-Chemeketa Red Line Pt. 4
UPDATE 104 (6/17/2017)-Chemeketa Red Line Pt. 5
UPDATE 105 (7/17/2018)-Chemeketa Red Line Pt. 6
UPDATE 106 (8/3/2020)-Chemeketa Downtown Project Overview
UPDATE 107 (8/23/2020)-West Chemeketa Reconfig, Part 1

. . . INTRO . . .


Well, after a little hiatus, I am back with a new MD.  This time around, I'm going to be taking the "multi-region" approach, which means there will be some variety, and maybe even a few surprises.

The region I'm about to show you is one that I'll probably focus on for quite some time, Cascadia Gorge. 

Here's a region shot, taken back before the majority of the development had started.  The map I'm using is the NHP Kinbasket Lake map, by beskhu3epnm and Heblem.  I've "desertified" it (as I am prone to doing) with c.p.'s Grand Canyon terrain mod.  My main inspiration for this region is again one in RL, the section of the Columbia River Gorge that forms the border between Oregon and Washington for some 150 miles, an area which I'm quite familiar with.



Here's a few pics from Wakeman, the largest city in the region at the moment.  Population-wise at the moment, it's around 6,000, but growing quickly.

Downtown, facing east along South Market Street, near 9th and 10th Avenues.  The architectural style in downtown Wakeman is a rather unusual mix, taking from typical small-town America along with some old European influences:



Plus the occasional fast food joint:


Here's a suburban area on the outskirts, at the intersection of South 22nd Avenue and Gilmour Street (facing south on 22nd):


And so you know where all this stuff actually is . . . wait for it . . . a map.   This covers the entire city tile where Wakeman is situated.


Here's a key for it:



Finally, here's a few random shots from around the region, some of the roadways through the more remote areas around the gorge. 

Hwy 89, just south of Wakeman


Belew Mountain Road


Abacab Pass Highway, along Abacab Creek


I will be back at some point with updates on development in Wakeman, as well as some more random road eyecandy, and possibly some unexpected stuff.

-Alex (Tarkus)

[Filasimo]

awesome start Alex! cant wait to see more of your region!

[Pat]

 
OooooooOOOOOooooooooOOOOO its here finaly here omg sweet Alex im so glad you are doing anther
md i and cant wait to see what you show off next  - pat

[BigSlark]

Tarkus,

Welcome back to the MD world. Like the first update, I think that we transit geeks will be spending a lot of time here...

Cheers,
Kevin

[bat]

Welcome back!

Great region you have there! Also a wonderful "roadmap" and the other pictures are also looking fantastic!

[tooheys]

Nothing like a challenging landscape to start off with. I'm not familiar with your earlier CJ's being a bit of a newbie, but going by the previous comments it sounds like I will definitely need to keep an eye on this.

Nice pic's and I also like to see how various transport networks grow.

Looking forward to more.

Cheers
Dave

[thundercrack83]

Outstanding! Welcome back, Alex! That region shot at the beginning looks brilliant, and as always, I love the maps. I will definitely be following along here!

[cityhawk]

Nice region, Alex! And nice winding roads as well! I shall keep an eye or two on this one!

[rickmastfan67]

Looking good there Tarkus.

[thundercrack83]

Whoa, whoa! Wait a second! I just realized something, Alex...No RHW in any of those pictures?

[HabLeUrG]

Of course will keep looking at this MD, incredible job  and many thanks that you are using our maps 

[wouanagaine]

Amazing winding road and very interesting region

[Shadow Assassin]

A nice start. I like how the town's laid out.

Waiting to see you make use of your RHW.

[HabLeUrG]

can't wait for more my friend, hehe 

[Pat]

Whoa, whoa! Wait a second! I just realized something, Alex...No RHW in any of those pictures?

I agree i just noticed that as well what in the world Happened here Alex, Dustin is so correct
no RHW 

[RichGray]

i just downloaded that terrain texture, and i think the trees look brilliant. Which set is it?  I personally think the commercial area is average, but you use a good mix of lots in it.(unlike me, you can be bothered to actually download commercial lots!) The region looks great, and i hope to see more of your  country roads. Keep it up!!

[Jmouse]

Hey you guys, scoot over and make room for one more in the circle - I want to watch the transit network develop, too  !
My, but you've set yourself up with quite a challenge, Tarkus. Where is the city with McDs located on the region map. It doesn't look like there's a single tile suitable for development, but I guess looks can be deceiving.
Anyway, glad you decided to share your work with us.

Joan

[Tarkus]

Hi everyone-

My apologies for the lack of updates here.  Been busy with moving and helping run a music festival, which will be done in about 1.5 weeks, and I didn't have internet for almost a week.  But I'm (sort of) back, and I have plenty of new stuff--too much to show in just one update.

Well, anyways, here's a shot of essentially the entire city of Wakeman, facing east.  As you can see, it's still quite small.  Population is about 7,000 at this point.


Here's a few more shots from downtown Wakeman:

This is facing east along South Market Street near 5th Avenue, looking at the Library and Post Office.


And a mosaic of a portion of downtown, mostly centered along Market Street (which is the "main drag" through downtown), facing west, between 10th and 6th.  (My first attempt at this sort of thing . . .)








A few other shots from around Wakeman:

This is looking south, down South 22nd Avenue toward Wakeman Boulevard (Hwy 24/89 multiplexed).  As you can see, suburbia is starting to enroach on farmland.


This is just west of downtown, a residential area.  The major thoroughfare toward the bottom of the picture is South Gilmour Street.


And here's a few shots along South 11th Avenue.  11th is the major north-south thoroughfare through Wakeman, connecting downtown with Highways 24 and 89, becoming 89 on the other side of Wakeman Boulevard.  As a result, it's a thriving commercial area.  It wouldn't be a complete town in the Pacific Northwest without the obligatory Starbucks.  (Facing east toward 11th)


And the busiest intersection in town, 11th and Gilmour.  It's so busy that the intersection is far over its capacity, resulting in many serious accidents.  (Facing south on 11th)


However, the city's public works department has acquired funding to improve this vital corridor, and construction has already begun.  (Again, facing south on 11th)


You'll see more of the South 11th Avenue Corridor Improvement Project in future updates.

And the obligatory curvy road picture.  This is in the remote northern part of the region, along Highway 16:


Now for comments:

Ryan (Filasimo):  Thanks for the compliments and being the first to comment!  And congrats on your new NAMite status!
Pat (patfirefghtr):  Thanks!  I'm glad to be back.  There will be plenty more where that came from.
Kevin (BigSlark):  Thanks, man! I hope this will satisfy your transit geek fix.   And others' too.
bat:  Thanks, I'm excited to be back with this new MD, and I'm especially glad to hear you liked the map.
Dave (tooheys):  Thanks for the compliments!  If you're wanting to see transit networks grow, hopefully the next few updates will be to your liking.  As far as my previous MD attempts, my only previous attempt was the short-lived Argentum, which can be found here.  I may actually revisit that region in a future update as well.
Dustin (thundercrack83):  Thanks!  I'm glad to hear the opening shots were to your liking, and I'll have some more maps in the next update or two.
cityhawk:  Thanks!  Glad to hear you like the region, and the winding roads have been great fun to build, so I'm happy to hear that people like them.
rickmastfan67:  Thanks for the compliment! 
Dustin (thundercrack83):  Yes, indeed, there isn't a single RHW in any of those pics.  In fact, as of right now there aren't any RHWs (other than the 2-lane version) anywhere in the entire region.  (There's no Maxis highways, either, though.)  It won't stay that way for long, though.   I've got more than a few surprises in store.
HabLeUrG:  Thanks for the compliments, and thanks for being involved in creating such a fine map.   I've gotten a great deal of enjoyment out of building on it.
wouanagaine:  Thanks for the compliments and for stopping by!  There will be more winding roads in future updates as well.
Shadow Assassin:  Thanks, I'm flattered to hear that the town layout is to your liking.  I've got some interesting things planned for it in the next few updates.  And the RHW may just show up eventually in some form . . .
HabLeUrG:  I can't either.
Pat (patfirefghtr):  You will see quite soon.
RichGray:  If you're wondering about the trees, those are the trees by c.p. (aka cycledogg).  They should be up on the LEX.  I'm glad to hear you like the region and the country roads, and thanks for the very constructive critique on my commercial area--I will put it to good use.  
Joan (Jmouse):  Yes, I guess I did give myself a bit of a challenge.   It's been quite fun, though.  If you're wondering where the city with the McDs is (Wakeman), it's on one of the few larger flat areas on the map, the peninsula toward the middle.  Here's a more recent region shot, where you can see where Wakeman is.


Thanks for all the support and comments everyone!  I'll be back with more soon.

-Alex (Tarkus)

[Filasimo]

ur very welcome alex and a fabulous update i love the construction addition towards the end really adds realism perhaps it gives me an idea we need to create some construction sign props if noone has thought of that yet or even improve on the construction set and add orange barrels along the side of the construction lot...just some ideas for anyone willing to take on the idea....and thanks for giving me the great opportunity in joining u guys.  cant wait for more updates its looking really good 
Ryan

[Jmouse]

Nice update, Tarkus. The mosaic is especially attractive. Have you thought of adding some irrigation canals to the AG areas, though? The region's surface texture has an arid look to it, and visible water sources might be appropriate.
Until next time ...
Joan