SimCity 146: Mass Transit

There is a limit to the amount of traffic your roads can hold. In addition to space considerations, cars create a huge pollution problem. To alleviate (if not eliminate) these two headaches, turn to mass transit for all your transportation needs.

Traffic

Traffic jams are the result of poor mass transit planning. The idea behind mass transit is to convince people to leave their cars at home by providing a fast and convenient alternative that gives you citizens the flexibility to get everything done that they need to get done.

Buses

Buses are the most widely-utilized of the mass transit systems. There are two reasons for this:

• they are adaptable
• they are inexpensive

Buses stop at designated stops around your city (you have to designate where the buses stop) and pick up passengers that they then drop off at other stops. The more stops you have, the more versatile the system. But there's a catch. Each stop that the bus makes can slow traffic on low-density roads -- in effect causing, ironically, a traffic jam.

The buses info icon on the mass transit HUD gives us the following information:

• Buses reduce the number of cars on the road
• All buses use the same bus stops
• Only low and medium-wealth Sims use buses
• Buses bring commuters and tourists from outside your city
• Buses provide a way to remove homeless from your city
• A bus terminal will transport Sims between cities
• Sims will walk 400 meters to a bus stop
• Commercial buildings like bus stops

You can also establish "park-n-rides" -- little parking lots around the city that will consume a small number of cars and come complete with a built-in bus stop. This allows citizens to park their car and then use the bus instead. Done properly, these depots can remove huge amounts of pollution and aid in getting your people to and from work.

Trains

The train info icon on the mass transit HUD gives us the following information:

• Trains carry low and medium wealth commuters and tourists
• Trains run less frequently but carry more passengers
• Trains allow factories to ship freight outside the city
• Trains can only send commuters to cities with a train station
• Trains will ship resources in and out of the global market
• Trains can ship resources between cities

You can set up a train station and then connect it to the main rail line that runs by your city. Doing so will allow you to exchange citizens with your neighbors, increasing workers, taxes, potential citizens, tourists, and reducing the number of cars in your city every day.

Boats

The boat info icon on the mass transit HUD gives us the following information:

• Ferries carry many medium and high wealth commuters and tourists
• Ferries arrive less frequently, but carry the most Sims
• The ferry terminal must be placed along a shoreline
• Ferries can only send commuters to cities that have a ferry terminal
• Ferries can ship resources to neighboring cities
• Ferries can ship resources to and from the global market

Ports allow tourists to go on day-trips and seamen to sing shanties. Both are very profitable.

Planes

The plane info icon on the mass transit HUD gives us the following information:

• Planes carry medium and high wealth commuters and tourists
• Add a cargo terminal to a municipal airport to ship industrial freight
• You need a municipal airport to get EMS helicopters

Planes are expensive for people, so they are only for the wealthiest citizens. However, having access to an airport will increase the wealth factor of your citizens. Beyond that, there is also a bonus to industry as airports also boost cargo movement.

Enjoy them while you can because when we run out of oil, you'll never ride in a plane again.

Streetcars

The streetcar info icon on the mass transit HUD gives us the following information:

• Streetcars give low and medium wealth Sims new ways to get around
• Streetcars carry more Sims than buses and are more efficient
• Streetcars run on special avenues with their own stops

Streetcars attempt to mix the adaptability of a bus with the cargo capacity of a train. When successfully done, an entire city could be run on only streetcars provided there were enough places to park.