Subways...Getting them to work

[mcallit 0]

I have been playing SC4 for quite a while now.  I have experimented numerous times with mass transit, particularly subway stations, but I just can't seem to get a working subway system.  I'm not even going to list all of the things I've done, but sims just won't get on them.

I link the subways from residential zones to commercial and HT industrial zones.  I leave them for a long time and then check on them, one by one, and find that no one, or sometimes maybe a few, are making use of them.  How in the world do you get mass transit to work?  (By the way, I am not playing the Rush Hour).

Thanks in advance!

[Ballon_Man 1]

I am playing Deluxe but I don't think it will affect it alot.

First of all, you need to place subways in strategic spots. If people have to walk a long way to the station or they have to walk a long way to their workplace after the subway ride, they won't go. Also, I like to twin all my subway stations with bus stops so people who don't live near the subways can go by bus.

[nycsc4 5,250]

if I were u, I would use the Road Top Mass Transit. This way you can have one station with subway and bus combined and they can be placed on the road. I use these and get tons of use, but my cities are huge too. What kind of population do you have?

[Ayaren 1]

Putting subway stops next to other transit stuff, like parking lots, bus stops, train station etcetera greatly encourages mass transit. And also you should just buy rush hour so you can install the NAM (Network Addon Mod), which greatly improves traffic and mass transit in simcity.

[rodent1989 9]

Your mass transit probably won't have any at/over capacity stations until the population exceeds 100k.  I don't normally expect any benefit from MT until about 50k.

[hawkpride147 1]

rodent is right...it takes til usually around 50k sims before your system starts getting use...also, denser areas tend to have higher usage at the stations.

[mistershnerples 0]

ive always paired bus stops next to subway stations. and then after zoning large swaths to residential and commercial, i place em at like the northwest corner of each block. i know it doesnt seem realistic, but it gets the job done.

[HuskerDude 12]

I'll always place bus/subway stations along my major thoroughfares, and bus stations scattered throughout my residential neighborhoods. That way people can take the bus to the train station, much like people do in the real world. It's important to have connections like that, otherwise the only people who use the subway are the people who live right near the stations.

[simmy.uk 1]

Place bus stations and subway stations beside each other. Connecting mass transit reduces traffic on your roads. Concentrate the subway in the commercial areas and high density residencial.