Granite Bay

[homeandaway 1]

looks alright!., cantw ait to see more my friend!.

Take care and oh, you didnt reply back to me inthe replies!..

~AleX~

[vgcpapa 5]

School is almost over. I can't wait to be done with finals. My last testing day is April 15.  I also have my conference championship track meet next weekend, and then I should be done with the season. Hopefully when I am done with everything and I go home for the summer, I will be able put some work into my region. 

[mtbrocket 2]

I like the mosaics and the borders of the pictures. Oh, and of course your SimCity skill is excellent.

-Dan

[powerdc 0]

Looking good. Have always liked port cities and it will be interesting to see how your region develops with the large water frontage.

From my limited experience the hardest part with the first CJ is remembering to stop every now and then to take a few snapshots So remember, keep that camera clicking.

Looking forward to the next update.

[CKSmooth 0]

Wow man! Nice CJ! This is really inspirational to me, you're doing great. I am so going to get that CDK stuff for those seaports...

[homeandaway 1]

good luck, take care and be safe my friend

~alex~

[vgcpapa 5]

I am home from school and it feels great.

Welcome to Redside, a community with it all. Unfortunately I won't be able to showcase everything that it has. So instead I offer the following pictures.





I would love to comment on these pictures, but my brain is still fried from school. Maybe I will write some kind of opinion on them later. 

Oh yeah, I can't forget about these...














And finally something that has distracted me from playing simcity. It should be 1x8 when it is finished, if it is finished.

What I have left to do with this station is to add lamposts, and signs, I do not plan on adding advertising signs though, and then it should be textured, although the color of it now is nice.

So mostly pictures and little caption in this update. 5 pictures total, 13 if you count each part of the mosaics as a different picture. I am just trying to waste time and put more into this post, since I can't think of anything else to write. I believe this is my 10th post. That is about 3 posts per year. I will admit that I am a serious lurker. My favorite CJ currently is Billiardsley Lite, by psteverific. However it has not been updated in a while and I am beginning to worry.  My favorite CJ'ers are Frogface and Louisville327

[Schulmanator 5,813]

New name? Hmmmmmmmmm.... what is there that will make your region distinct? A landform? Building style? Facility? That will give a good starting point.

[sc4portugal 10]

wow great work

[Mulefisk 15]

I love the photoshopping, the layout, and everything.

Great work!

[jacqulina 162]

excellent work my friend very nice layout,fantastic pics i love the mosaics

[vgcpapa 5]

Introducing GTA

No not Grand Theft Auto, Gaitlin Transportation Authority [how original?].

First off is Gaitlin Central Station in the heart of ... Gaitlin.

Oh and the lovely rail tunnels leaving out of Gaitlin Central. When the tunnels were first built it was considered an engineering wonder. The tunnels were built well before Gaitlin's Subway system. At the time there was a concern of how the tunnels would handle the exhaust of heavy rail, but the tunnels proved to be succesful and saved much space for future development near Gaitlin Central. Many residents and officials in Gaitlin view the rail tunnels in the highest regard and they often contrast failing or failed transportation networks to these tunnels, i.e When the highway was built it was sunken and that was thought as the most appropriate. However the sunken highway seemed to carve up Gaitlin and isolate neighborhoods, which led to many problems as can be seen in Aesthetics of History. Residents and some officials wish that the highway developers followed the marvel of the rail tunnels and built the highway underground. Occasionly there is talk of covering the highway to "patch up" Gaitlin's neighborhoods. [maybe for another time]

GTA provides a map of congestion on Gaitlin's various networks. Highlited are Gaitlin Central Station and Saratague Station.

An area of concern for GTA is that high area of congestion in the lower central of Gaitlin, this next image zooms in on that area. Highway expansions were drafted by GTA, but given the problems that the earlier sunken project had caused, GTA felt it would have to look elsewhere for congestion relief. [Also the the highway is only two blocks north of the area of high congestion and it is because of the highway that congestion exists here.]

GTA had an idea of revamping the subway system. Below is the system as it exists today.

The system has 4 lines. Each line is completely underground. The red line, blue line and yellow line all intersect at Central Station, making it the busiest Subway station in Gaitlin. However, only the yellow line serves Saratague Station, which makes the Yellow line the busiest line in GTA's system. However passengers are discouraged from traveling directly from Saratague Station to Gaitlin Central on the yellow line because of the numerous stations inbetween. It is better for passengers from Saratague Station to Central to take the rail tunnel, because it is always a direct express service. [there is, has never been, and probably will never be a rail station inbetween Saratague and Central]

GTA thought how could it increase subway system and ridership and their best idea increase the depth of each line. The Green line showcases best how the new system would look. However it also being considered to make system map look less cluttered, each line would be filled with color as opposed to short lines intersecting the increased depth [Does that make sense]. But again in reality [or simcity reality]  the green line showcases best of how the system will actually look, with the lines in between serving as one station.  Gaitlin was easy to plan out but Saratague is a bit more complicated

By increasing the depth of each line, GTA believes it will give the functionality of having a grid subway system without it looking like a grid.

A lot of people are not fond of Gailtin's Grid Street pattern, and this was known when the highway was built. The sunken highway was built with the intention of breaking up the grid. And it was succesful, however the highway did more than break apart the grid, it broke Gaitlin. GTA recognizes this and doesn't want to make the same mistake. Will GTA be succesful in revamping Gaitlins Subway system. Can they make the subway system rival the rail tunnels?

[Cleaner475 150]

very good CJ my friend - looking very nice - I love the pics you have they look really cool - keep it up

[homeandaway 1]

stunning! - very well presented! - if i went there now - i would know my way around! lol! - stunning work

~AleX~

[vgcpapa 5]

Work has begun on the GTA Subway Plan (GTASP). The plan calls for increasing the depth of each subway route by adding parallel tunnels. Then the parallel lines of each route will be connected at each stop by a perpendicular tunnel. The goal of GTASP is to increase city wide transit usage by increasing transit access. Increasing the depth of each line is believed to be the most novel and efficient method of increasing transit usage while decreasing congestion on alternate transportation networks i.e. highway and streets.

 

The plan is broken into two phases and eight stages, with each phase containing four stages. 

Phase 1: will focus on the Gaitlin District of the city.

            Stage 1: Greenline of Gaitlin

            Stage 2: Blue line of Gaitlin

            Stage 3: Yellow line of Gaitlin

            Stage 4: Redline of Gaitlin

Phase 2: will focus on the Saratague District of the city and each stage will be determined from the results of Phase 1.

A final and third phase is being considered but it is not recognized yet as a central part of GTASP. A possible Phase 3 would include organizing and developing a system map including each station and transfer station [including name and types of accessibility]. Regarding the naming of stations, with the exception of major hubs and transfer stations, some responsibility will be given to the community [simtropolis] in deciding the appropriate station name. The community can assume responsibility in at least naming two (2) stations for each line [the final stops of each direction], which will help in better defining the line in terms of travel direction. Another part of Phase 3 will include allocating the necessary resources for the maintenance of each station and possible construction or redeveloping of stations and major hubs.

cleaner475: Thanks for your comment, I am sorry that I don't have any pictures to show in this quick update.

homeandaway: If you went there, you probably would know your way around, but chances are you would still get lost. I mean none of the city streets or landmarks are named and the city is a grid block sea. Anyhow thanks for showing your tracks.

[vgcpapa 5]

Phase 1: Stage 1: Greenline of Gaitlin

-         Neighborhoods affected: West Village, Southside and Crawford’s Corner. Greenline does run through downtown, but it does not connect to Central Station.

-         A step of Phase 3 will be considered here. It is the naming of the westernmost stop of Greenline. This last stop resides in Gaitlin’s West Village. West Village was the neighborhood that was featured in the Aesthetics of History. West Village is one Gaitlin’s oldest neighborhoods and most historical. Surprisingly, however unfortunate West Village’s Historical Society is the only organization in Gaitlin to have records on Gaitlin’s early days. It is unfortunate that they are the only organization that has intact records, and it is also unfortunate that they only have one picture of an old West Village to share.

-         As seen in the Aesthetics of History, West Village is a neighborhood of widespread disrepair, which has been blamed on the mid-century highway expansions. The highway further segregates West Village from the Gaitlin community along with the train tracks that run along West Village’s eastern border.

-         GTASP will seek to help in a revival of West Village, by increasing transit accessibility and increasing opportunity and motivation for Gaitlin’s residents to seek, travel, work, live and enjoy West Village.

-         Southside is one of Gaitlin’s largest neighborhoods in terms of land area. Throughout its history it has been a largely residential community. Very few industries or office space is located within Southside. So residents that choose to live in Southside often commute outside the community to work.

-         Recently office space development has spilled out of Downtown and into the northern border of Southside. So Southside has shown that it has the potential to be a neighborhood for work and home life.

-         GTASP will seek to help Southside in its possible transition from suburban like neighborhood to city like atmosphere by making greenline more efficient and giving Gaitlin Residents a better choice in whether they want to live there, work there or both?

-         Crawford’s Corner is a small but diverse neighborhood. Unfortunately is an area that has the highest road traffic congestion, as a major highway interchange runs directly north of the neighborhood.

-         The high traffic may benefit Crawford’s Corner because the traffic increases the potential for development.

-         GTASP will seek to relieve some of CC’s road traffic congestion and convert it into transit use, while also maintaining CC’s potential for future development.

 

---

Visual References

1. Highlited Greenline before expansion

2. Neigborhoods affected by Greenline expansion

3. Greenline with increased depth

4. Greenline as it should be perceived with white representing stations.

5. An underground view of Gaitlin’s system with Stage 1 being complete.

6. Greenlines easternmost stop in Stage 1 Crawford’s Corner.

7. Two stops in Southside.

8. (a) Greenline where it enters Downtown. Though this area doesn’t look perfect nor great, GTASP stage 1 has benefited this area. (b) 2 blocks east where transit access is limited resembles what this area looked like before stage 1.

9. Gaitlin’s Skyshark Stadium was not serviced by GTA transit other than a bus stop, but now with the Stage 1 complete it is now served by the greenline. Skyshark fans will now be able to reach the game on greenline.

10. Greenline’s westernmost stop. This station is up for name recommendations.

11. West Village Historical Society’s copy of an early West Village. [unknown date]

 

[jacqulina 162]

wonderfull work and pics coming on great my friend,looking very good

[lilred731 0]

Wow!!! I'm liking the subway expansion.

How do the residents feel about being disposed in the name of  progress.

What about adding a subway line or rail across the river?

[Cleaner475 150]

very nice update - the region is really getting impressive as well

I'll be waiting for more pics - plz can you put some night pics in the next update?