Will workers only travel to a bus stop for work if there isn't a job available near them?

[Ole "Slim Jolo" the Hobo Hero]

Like title says.

Ive got no problem with passengers seeming to access bus stops for their needs, or students lining up, but routinely struggle getting workers to use stations at all, maybe because they all choose jobs by walking distance first and by bus only if a walking option isn't available, while passengers seem to choose to ride a bus randomly to fulfill other needs even when a walking option for something is available since I seem to have consistent flow of passengers?

It occurred to me I've likely wrongly assumed citizens kind of choose job based on availability at random, i.e might work at brick factory, and if that's not available may travel by near by station to work at next available thing, etc

Really it seems like AI chooses stuff that is within walking distance and ignores bus stops for their Job / Employment need and might only otherwise use stations if nothing is available?

I find past early game I always struggle getting construction labor and things like that because no one ever waits at the station, but it occurred to me last night, well, all the buildings I have up and running now are all more convenient for laborers to reach than using the station, so they're likely using that even if the station is closer, and thats why my labor seems to have dried up

I'm maybe not city planning in enough of a commie way, because often I have pretty mixed residential and service areas, so an ever increasing amount of jobs opening right next to residential areas essentially, and bus stops get ignored by labor and I struggle to then ferry laborers to mines, construction jobs, etc since no one will queue.

Would I be better off building residential areas entirely excluded / far from available jobs (i.e 200m+) so everyone, passenger and worker alike, needs to take the bus to reach services or a job? Would more intensive planning like that purposely distancing my workers from walking to stores / jobs etc make them all rely on bus and transit more, instead of things like having a shopping center right across from residential area where they can all walk too?

[Stele]

They do prioritise jobs in walking distance. Plus with higher education requirement if the meet it.
Mixing services in residentials so everything is in walking range is proper soviet way encouraged by the game mechanics. You just need more population and/or to limit workers in those services. Just remember to crank them up when they become overcrowded.

[Ole "Slim Jolo" the Hobo Hero]

Yea makes sense, just wanted to confirm. I have a really diversified set of small urban areas on the map I'm play testing rather than one or two single centers where I'd otherwise not encounter such consistent problems with employment, I think, and is why it feels like my construction is kind of crawling to a crawl as well as gravel at my second construction industry area at my second city seems to have basically stopped / can only get 1 or 2 workers at a time, lol.

Forgot about limiting workers - had at some services like my shopping center and stuff in main city but that obviously saw all the surplus labor just go to the school, kindergarten, etc etc instead and still not use bus. I'm pretty sure the only building on whole map right now with consistent full employment is my prison and orphanage, because there aren't any other jobs etc besides a limited store and stuff in that town and i've left it alone to not mess that up lol

I think I'll work on setting up a kind of periphery residential area between the two cities where the bulk of my construction stuff happens (they're really not far apart) and see if I can't basically rely on them to fulfill that need and be a bit more intentional actually planning the city.

Another mistake I do too in general is adding bus stops as an after thought too in already kind of crammed locations instead of planning my transit and development around them (or trams) respectively

Really only struggling because in the last months of current game all my construction has gotten so much slower and labor is the bottle neck for all my road projects, haha, gotta be more intentional and literally basically plan a residential area specifically for construction I think. I do have some houses in my construction industry buildings but that was just out of necessity and not really solving my bussing issue, obviously :p I feel like those people probably live in horrible pollution next to the asphalt / cement plants etc haha

[ling.speed]

There is a button in every house as well as bus stops etc, to set priority buildings (including other bus stops) where to search for work in first.

If a worker is sent to bus stop like this it will wait for 1h there before looking for a job in walking range.
If all of the added work destinations are without a jobspot the worker will try places not on the list.

Thou personally i prefer to use the job limits in shops and let people decide where to go by themselves, its more hands on but also easier to notice problems.


On the topic of road projects. These should not require much workforce at all, unless you build very short (afair >12m) sections. In the early game when there is not that much workforce its best to keep to the gravel roads, that should be quick to get up.

[Cpt_Beefheart]

Originally posted by ling.speed:

On the topic of road projects. These should not require much workforce at all, unless you build very short (afair >12m) sections.

Yes this is key early on for sure as those little ones won't get built with just bulldozer alone.

Originally posted by Ole "Slim Jolo" the Hobo Hero:

Yea makes sense, just wanted to confirm. I have a really diversified set of small urban areas on the map I'm play testing rather than one or two single centers where I'd otherwise not encounter such consistent problems with employment, I think, and is why it feels like my construction is kind of crawling to a crawl as well as gravel at my second construction industry area at my second city seems to have basically stopped / can only get 1 or 2 workers at a time, lol.

Something you can try as well is a few prison buses on a line going from a prison directly to a workplace such as gravel processing. It's not the real solution, but it can help keep a minimum staff on hand if your city buses are not quite keeping staff up. I seem to usually have multiple lines each with 3-4 prison buses on them.