2010 Olympics low-car diet
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Updated: November 05, 2009 5:11 PM
It’s being called a two-month “low-car diet” where commuters cut down on their road travel to make room for vehicles carrying 2010 Winter Olympic spectators, athletes and officials.
Vanoc unveiled more details of its Olympic transportation plan, which aims to achieve a minimum 30 per cent cut in traffic heading into downtown Vancouver, across the Lions Gate and Iron Workers’ Memorial bridges, as well as in Whistler and along the Sea to Sky Highway.
The plan to avoid gridlock rides heavily on regular working commuters either taking transit, telecommuting or taking time off during the Winter Games in February and the Paralympics in March.
It’s hoped increased numbers walk or cycle.
Those who try to drive will face stiff fines if they illegally use Olympic-only lanes and they’ll also have to contend with road closures in sections of Vancouver near venues and key sites and a ban on parking near venues and on many streets.
“The easiest way to get around will be public transit, which will increase greatly with more buses and trains and more enhanced hours of service,” said Terry Wright, Vanoc executive vice-president of Games services and operations.
TransLink is putting on 180 more buses in time for
the Games, an 11 per cent increase in the fleet size, with some night buses running 24 hours.
Another 48 SkyTrain cars – two-thirds of which are already here – will be in service by then, on top of the extra capacity provided by opening the Canada Line. The rapid transit system will run at maximum frequency and for extended hours.
A third SeaBus will also ply the waters of Burrard Inlet, sailing each way every 10 minutes.
And extra West Coast Express trips will carry commuters downtown by rail from as far as Mission.
The transit system is expected to carry 135,000 spectators a day – over and above regular commuters – to area venues, reflecting a 33 per cent increase in daily transit trips to 960,000.
But the extra SeaBus and some transit upgrades won’t last after the Paralympic Winter Games end in March.
The City of Vancouver will open a new 1.8-kilometre street car tram line on
south False Creek connecting
Granville Island to the Athletes
Village and the Canada Line.
But it will stop running after the Games and the two street cars borrowed from Brussels will be sent back.
“We’re going to pretend we’re something we’re not,” says transportation policy expert Anthony Perl, director
of SFU’s Urban Studies Program.
“It’s like we’ve borrowed our friend’s car to go out on a
hot date but we’ve got to
give it back after the date is over.”
There are no planned restrictions on the crossings over the Fraser River, but congestion is expected to be a deterrent for many motorists, as well as difficulty parking at their destination.
Tight security is expected to mean long waits to enter venues.
People will be urged to plan ahead before trying to travel and to consult a new Olympic transportation website launched Wednesday – www.travelsmart2010.ca.
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