how do you efficiently design service roads?

[Shuttleman27]

ive tried everything to make service roads work but i cant seem to make it so my 24 medium stands (of which 16 are open) get all their services performed. i have a ton of trucks, almost 200 and im not short on any staff however it would seem that theres always a traffic issue or it takes a few in game hours to even send out a catering truck to the depot. i encountered an issue when all the vehicles had to go to one spot to fill up with whatever, so i decentralized it and have fuel all over the place as well as vehicle depots so theres plenty of parking. every time i load the game im greeted to 10 "flight xx### is running loate at medium stand ##, do you wish do delay the flight one hour?" then that happens at every stand at least 8 times before the plane actually leaves and flights are running days behind. how do i fix this service road issue? i used one way roads where there was a traffic jam and it helped a bit but i still cant seem to get all my flights to leave within 4 hours of landing without running late. telling them to leave without delaying forces so many trucks onto the tarmac that it comes to a near halt. im 100% sure this is a service road issue and not vehicle shortage or staff shortage. can anybody help me figure this out?

[GeeBee]

Have you tried reducing the number of vehicles? 200 seems a lot for the number of stands you have. You probably know this already but one large fuel truck will service a number of stands without having to return to the depot between refuelling planes (for example) saving time and having less traffic on your service roads.

[Shuttleman27]

thats 200 including my small airport but any less than that and i wouldnt have enough, ive tried

[m1o2o3c4h5y]

You could also try adding some additional roads underground and limit the types of vehicles that use them. Let's say baggage trucks use a route on "Level -1"; fuel trucks use a route on "Level 0"; cleaning and food service trucks use a route on "Level -2".

Put the tunnel entrances near the stands or at each end of the string of stands to limit congestion where all service vehicles converge. Also, put tunnel entrances near the service depots where they get their supplies.

And yes, 200 seems like a bunch of vehicles.

[leegrider73]

I'm having a similar issue....I've got way more vehicles than I think I should...2 baggage carts per med gate, 1 pushback per gate, multiple beltloaders, etc.....

My problem is that the vehicles just randomly drive everywhere and anywhere...I've got more than enough parking garages. We NEED to be able to assign a belt loader to a gate and have it park there. Same for baggage, etc...it would stop all the crazy pathing the vehicles do. I've got log jams of traffic in several places...despite it being 4 lanes.

Also, restricting the roads and what vehicle can go on them literally doesn't work. They just ignore them. Getting frustrating....so many late planes because of service vehicles not getting to the gates in a timely manner. Game is getting unplayable.

[solarism]

thats what terminals are usefull for. make multiple terminals, assign vehicles to them, they just work at one terminal and so you keep them in the area you want. and connect them to a parking slot there also.
and for traffic problems: turns slow down traffic a lot, longer car - slower turn, so avoid them whenever possible (especially u-turns, eexits/entries of servicebuilding should be some blocks away from turns and other entries/exits

[Shuttleman27]

you can assign trucks to park on stands
only some though
that means you can have belt loaders, baggage, pushback, and i believe stairs and airside shuttle but i dont use those two so i dont know

[leegrider73]

Originally posted by Shuttleman27:

you can assign trucks to park on stands
only some though
that means you can have belt loaders, baggage, pushback, and i believe stairs and airside shuttle but i dont use those two so i dont know

I'd be grateful it you'd show me where....I can not find any thing on the stand that allows me to assign a vehicle to the stand. Under the vehicles tab, there is an assign button, but it only allows it to assign to a parking building or grass lot. Maybe I'm missing something.
Thanks

[Shuttleman27]

just assign them to the stand like you would do a lot. trust me it works for those ones

[Deximo Roger]

The option is with the vehicle. Click on a truck and one of the tabs is 'assign to depot' or something like that. I don't have the game open right now. Then you click on the parking building or lot you want it to operate from.

[Viss Valdyr]

the pathfinding in this game is something I really despite. Especially when they just stay on an intersection without a reason, then doing a U turn and after standing there again, doing a u-turn again.

I did a test and made a big field with service roads and they use the most direct way regardless if there is a alternative free path right next.

[Shuttleman27]

ive figured that part out. unfortunately changing that isnt a thing that the devs are going to do because they are making another game

[andycishere]

Asd written, cars use the direct way to reach their target. So what I do is:
- Make sure service depots (catering, garbage etc) are placed on different parts of the airport and not all at the same
- Provide some express routes (for example underground)
- Try to build the streets and service depots in a way, that there is no main junction which is used by everyone
- Never build 3+ lane roads
- Use one-way, sometimes it's usefull to prevent left turns.

For public roads
- lead busses and taxis early on a separate designated lanes by using right turns
- lead catering trucks early after the road entrance tunnel to a direct way to the catering depot. (or keep it close to the road entrance tunnel)

I'm playing on big airports and with those points, I never have big traffic jams.

[junkriffs™]

ADD MORE TIME IN BETWEEN THE FLIGHTS.... also not sure if you know but some work trucks can be set to the plane stand . like the one guy said get a bigger fuel trucks get ride of the little ones. all my service roads are underground but when i have to come up to do work.