What's the difference between four-lane roads and avenues?

[Glitcher 5]

Exactly what the title says. The game gives you the option to build a "large avenue with grass" or a "large avenue with bus lanes", but I don't see what the point of these are. We already have four-lane roads with those features, which possess the same capacity and speed limit. Are the avenues completely redundant or am I missing something?

[Manuel-ito 322]

From what I gather, the large avenue with grass provides a slight land value increase and noise decrease, while the one with bus lanes reserves the outer lane for public transit and emergency vehicles (i.e: healthcare, fire and police vehicles with their sirens on). Other vehicles can still use the reserved lane tho, if they have to take a turn.

EDIT: I misread the question. The one with bus lanes could be useful for bus lines passing trough arterial roads, while the one with grass may be there for the sake of having more aesthetic options.

[Glitcher 5]

Define "more options". I still don't see the difference between avenues and four-lane roads. Buses can just as easily use both.

[Ocram's Razr 964]

Aesthetics. The difference is aesthetics.

 

Also, divided avenues IRL have higher capacities (or speed limits) than non-divided.

[Glitcher 5]

But six-lane roads have a higher capacity and speed limit (with options for grass and bus lanes) than avenues. So are avenues pointless?

[Bad Peanut 826]

2 hours ago, Glitcher said:

But six-lane roads have a higher capacity and speed limit (with options for grass and bus lanes) than avenues. So are avenues pointless?

Not if you combine the use of avenues and 6 lane roads to create lane segregation

[Glitcher 5]

1 hour ago, Bad Peanut said:

Not if you combine the use of avenues and 6 lane roads to create lane segregation

You've lost me. Don't you need a mod to designate lane segregation?

EDIT: Holy smokes! I just realized that avenues have two lanes, not four. I misinterpreted the divider line on the asphalt. Suddenly avenues have become even more pointless. Why not built the smaller and cheaper roads that also have two lanes?

[Bad Peanut 826]

1 hour ago, Glitcher said:

You've lost me. Don't you need a mod to designate lane segregation?

EDIT: Holy smokes! I just realized that avenues have two lanes, not four. I misinterpreted the divider line on the asphalt. Suddenly avenues have become even more pointless. Why not built the smaller and cheaper roads that also have two lanes?

Well i may be stretching the meaning there.  I have a long stretch of road alternating between a 4 lane avenue and 6 lane road.  That way when i 6 lane meats a 4 lane at an intersection then one lane is forced into a turn only lane.  Thus creating better flow on my roads. 

 

And one of the things i do with the 2 lane avenues is use them in a place earlier in the game i know I'll eventually need more lanes but don't need them now.  Then i know i won't have to bulldoze anything that grows on this roads as it's already the 32m width but i don't have all those pointless lanes until i upgrade them..

[charlesnew 262]

You use them because they look good. Avenues are just there because they are, and it gives you more options when building roads, and it's not entirely unrealistic.

[Ocram's Razr 964]

I'm sorry to bring up an old topic but I have found that the Large Avenue with Grass is a great option not only for when planning to eventually upgrade the road from 2 lanes to 4 or 6 lanes without removing old buildings from increased width but also looks good in certain suburban settings (I wanted pretty much the equivalent since 2016 but with the trees and grass between the parking and sidewalk instead of between the lanes) and supports better traffic flow than simple 2 lane roads (because higher speed limit and inability to make u-turns). In my latest cities, I exclusively use Large Avenues with Grass as soon as I can, then later upgrade the roads to 4-lane or 6-lane (though nowadays I only use 6-lane roads for one way expressways). Because of the increased land value, decreased noise pollution, and previously mentioned reasons, these make excellent placeholders for places where traffic is expected to increase or even permanent fixtures where you want traffic volume to remain low but want to have a nice, ritzy look.