CJ Nicaumenee

So, this will be the last update on Nicaumenee I want to thank all modders again - without your fantastic additions, the city would not have been the same I am going to present some recent changes, as well as everything concerning traffic and infrastructure; it will be in two parts, as I can only put 30 images into one update



Traffic & Infrastructure
When I started doing my research on American cities years ago, I quickly noticed that besides a few exceptions, everything is about getting from A to B by car.

Nicaumenee is no different than other typical Midwestern cities, except for the fact that the city has a few more public parking garages than, say, Kansas City, MO.

Starting back in the late 1940s, the city's freeway network had been vastly expanded for about 50 years, leading to an enormous urban sprawl. Auxiliary highways had to be constructed to combat the traffic congestion on the common roads. In the image below, you can spot the highways and main arterial roads quite well.


During the late 1980s and early 1990s, city officials finally moved away from building only more highways. This concept had the inner city - especially Downtown and Bridgend - deteriorated. New approaches had to be found. The most successful idea was the installment of bus rapid transit (busways). New bus lines lead to a quick connection between the inner city on the one side, and the airport, the convention center, and the harbor on the other side. Over the years, the use of public transportation quadrupled to a merely 25% of all commuters taking the bus or the train. Nonetheless, the car is still the preferred choice of overall commute.



The following spoiler shows the interstate interchanges and exits:

Spoiler: Highways

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Albeit modern times have ever been focusing on car transportation, Nicaumenee has historical been a railway hub, delivering goods from and to the harbor. The city even has a railway belt encircling some of its districts.

Spoiler: Railways

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As you can imagine, the harbor still plays an important role within the city's economics. Grain is mostly exported via the grain terminal located in Barren Hill, and coal and other raw materials are mostly imported via the coal harbor in northern Grovetown Yards (not on the map). The docks are located in between these two.

The above image also shows how well-connected the harbor is to either highways or railways.

Spoiler: Waterways

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The next update will deal with the city's busways and I will also show some of the last updates. Stay tuned