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Old Posted Oct 16, 2009, 9:49 PM
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Transit system pushed to the limits - 180 buses on standby for Olympic Overload!

180 buses on standby for overload
Transit system will be pushed to limit but we have a plan: Officials

Damian Inwood

Province

Thursday, October, 15, 2009




A fleet of 180 transit buses will be ready to ride to the rescue if Metro Vancouver's transit system overloads during the Vancouver 2010 Games.

And if the Sea-to-Sky Highway is blocked by a major rock slide, B.C. Ferries vessels will be on standby to shuttle Olympic traffic to Darrell Bay, near Squamish.

These are two of the measures to stop traffic gridlock that were outlined Wednesday in a detailed briefing on Olympic transportation.

While Doug Kelsey, the region's Olympic transit planner, said he's confident the transit plan will work, he cautioned people to be ready for delays during the Games.

"There are going to be lineups," he said. "To think that everyone's going to get on a bus or a train and there won't be lineups at different points of time is not realistic. The system will be taken to its highest level ever." Expanded transit is a key element in the 2010 transportation plan, which was unveiled in detail Wednesday.

It includes times of road closures, the introduction of Olympic lanes, parking restrictions and a vehicle checkpoint on the Sea-to-Sky Highway.

To prevent downtown Vancouver being gripped by gridlock, it's imperative to get 30,000 cars off the road every day of the 17-day sporting event.

Kelsey said transit planners learned from previous Games and decided to put the 180 new buses at different points across the Lower Mainland and keep some in reserve if the system chokes up.

"In case of [passenger] surges, mechanical breakdowns, weather issues -- there's a whole menu of things -- we'll deploy those," he said. "If Vancouver has significant stresses downtown, we might have 'turn-backs.'" That might mean that buses can't get into the downtown core.

Kelsey said commuters should plan for trips to take longer during the Olympics.

"If you have tickets for opening ceremonies and you think you might do what you do for a normal Vancouver Canucks hockey game and walk down there while they're singing the anthem, you're going to miss your event," he warned.

Vancouver city manager Penny Ballem said she's "confident" that there won't be gridlock during the Games.

"We know that a successful transportation plan is fundamental to the perception of the success of the Olympics," she said.

Ballem said that 150,000 extra people are expected to flood downtown on any given Olympic day, more than the 125,000 residents who currently live there.

"We have a public information plan starting on Oct. 19 to help our citizens understand that they will have to make plans and will have to change how they do things," she added.

Terry Wright, 2010's boss of Olympic services, said officials are still fine-tuning transportation plans for the Feb. 12 opening ceremonies.

"It's an all-hands-on-deck day," he said. "It's a day when all the media wants to come, where we bring all the athletes in, where we have the stadium full of spectators and we have our sponsors, all of our international dignitaries, heads of state and so on." Wright said the busiest place during the Games will be the east end of False Creek, where GM Place, B.C. Place, the Olympic Athletes Village and two party plaza sites are located.

Keeping the Lions Gate and the Ironworkers Memorial Second Narrows bridges open are key pieces of the plan.

Supt. Kevin deBruyckere of the Vancouver 2010 Integrated Security Unit said a lot of work is being done to prevent the lengthy bridge shutdowns due to suicide attempts.

He said putting nets under the bridges, similar to those used in San Francisco had been considered.

"We'll have a significant increase in uniformed, visible policing presence at or near the bridges," he said. "Hopefully, that will provide a strong deterrent." Mike Proudfoot, assistant deputy transportation minister, said that nets won't be used during the Games, but are being studied as a future measure.

They would cost "tens of millions" to install, he said.

© Copyright (c) The Province

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In addition to the buses, the city should order more skytrain cars for the Canada Line. As it is the train is bursting to the limits during morning and evening rush hour.

I hate to see what it will be like during the Olympics.
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Old Posted Oct 16, 2009, 9:54 PM
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Hmm, good thing they will have parking restrictions on the bridges! haha!
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Old Posted Oct 16, 2009, 9:56 PM
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Final details of 2010 Olympic transportation plan unveiled
Damian Inwood

Province

Wednesday, October, 14, 2009



Vancouver 2010 officials unveiled its "life as unusual" transportation plan Wednesday, including details of road closures, parking restrictions and expanded transit.

It also includes a vehicle checkpoint being placed on the Sea-to-Sky Highway from Feb. 11 to 28.

"We expect 150,000 spectator movements on a daily basis in the area around False Creek," said Terry Wright, 2010's head of Olympic services.

The area includes B.C. Place, GM Place, the 2010 Athletes' Village and the two city live sites.

City manager Penny Ballem said that a "know before you go" TravelSmart program will be launched from Oct. 19.

"The goal is to reduce vehicle traffic by 30 per cent, which is about 26,000 vehicles," she said. "We will have new cycling networks and bike parking in and around the venues."

She said the two most challenging days were the opening and closing ceremonies on Feb. 12 and Feb. 28.

Wright said in answer to repeated questions, Olympic organizers wanted to stress that:

• No passes are required for downtown Vancouver.

• North Shore crossings and other bridges will be open.

• Olympic lanes will be for accredited vehicles, transit buses and emergency vehicles only from Feb. 4 to Mar. 1.

• Pedestrian corridors will run from noon to midnight, from Feb. 12 to 28. Cross streets will be open and bicycles and pedicabs permitted.

• Highways 1 and 99 will be open during the Games. No permits will be needed on Sea-to-Sky north of Squamish during off-peak hours.

• Phased road closures will start Jan. 1 and run to Mar. 1.

• Parking/stopping restrictions are from Feb. 4 to Mar. 1.

• Temporary truck routes will run Feb. 1 to Mar. 21 and 24-hour deliveries will be allowed Feb. 1 to 28.

Road closures:

Nov. 1, seawall and 1st Avenue at False Creek closes around Olympic Village.

Jan. 4, Abbott Street closure near GM Place.

Jan. 15, Quebec Street closure at Olympic Village.

Jan. 24, Renfrew Street closure a Pacific Coliseum.

Jan. 27, Road closures around Canada Place.

Jan. 29, Expo and Pacific Boulevard closures.

Feb. 1, Midlothian St. closes at Vancouver Olympic Centre at Hillcrest.

Feb. 4, Olympic lanes and stopping/ parking restrictions come into effect.

Feb. 5, Georgia and Dunsmuir viaducts close.

Feb. 12, Pedestrian corridors run from noon to midnight.

SkyTrain will have 48 extra cars and a capacity of 14,300 people per hour, running from 5:15 a.m. to 1:15 a.m.

Canada Line will handle 5,400 passengers an hour from 4:50 a.m. to 2:15 a.m.

The new Olympic line streetcar can carry 1,500 people per hour in each direction, running from 6 a.m. to 12:30 a.m.

Transit wil have 180 extra buses. NightBus service will run for 24 hours on select routes and on other routes, the last bus leaves downtown at 3 a.m.

There will be 30 extra HandyDart buses running from 6 a.m. to midnight. People can book up to seven days in advance.

SeaBus will run a third SeaBus from Feb. 8 to 28, handling 2,400 people per hour from 6 a.m. to 2:15 a.m.

West Coast Express will run extra services from 5:30 a.m. to 12:15 a.m. from Feb 12 to 28. There will be three extra trips each weekday, five inbound and four outbound trips on Saturdays, and four inbound and three outbound trips on Sundays.

Waterfront Station will be open and no security checks are required to take transit.

Parts of 900 and 1000 block on Cordova will be temporary loading zones for public.

Provincial transportation officials say that in the event of a major mudslide or rockslide blocks the Sea-to-Sky Highway, there's a plan for B.C. Ferries to carry Olympic vehicles and passengers docking at Darrell Bay, just outside Squamish.

The Sea-to-Sky Highway road check will be in a highway pull-out where non-permitted vehicles will be stopped and there will be a turnaround area where traffic can be routed back to the highway.

The city is also strengthening Granville Bridge and council will decide later in the year whether it will be included in the truck routes.

SPECIFIC OLYMPIC VENUE CLOSURES INCLUDE:

Olympic Family Hotel at the Westin Bayshore: There will be no parking on Bayshore Drive, Coal Harbour Quay and parts of Cardero and Nicola Streets.

Canada Hockey Place: Access to Costco off Beatty is being maintained. A pedestrian corridor will be in effect on Beatty between Smithe and Dunsmuir from noon to midnight Feb 12 to 28.

GM Place and B.C. Place: Expo and Pacific Boulevard will be closed for the whole Olympics.

Vancouver Olympic (curling) Centre at Hillcrest: From Feb 12 to 28, Midlothian Avenue, Ontario Street between 28th and 33rd Avenues, Peveril Avenue between Ontario and Dinmont Avenue, and Dinmont Avenue between Midlothian Avenue and Peveril Avenue will all be closed.

Pacific Coliseum: During the Games Renfrew Street between Hastings and McGill will be closed to public vehicles. Pedestrian access to Renfrew Street will be limited to the west sidewalk. Olympic lanes will be on curb lanes on Hastings Street from Boundary to Richards Street.

University of B.C.: There will be graduated road closures around Thunderbird Arena.

Lot B1 and Osborne Centre parking lots will be closed and parking will be restricted on East Mall between 16th Avenue and Agronomy Road and at Wesbrook Mall at the bus stop.

Richmond Oval: River Road between Hollybridge Way will be closed Feb. 2 to Mar. 1.

River Road from Hollybridge Way to Cambie Street will be open to local traffic only.

Richmond Dyke Trail will be closed from No. 2 Road to Hollybridge Way from Feb. 4 to 27.

Cypress Mountain: From Feb. 1 to Mar. 8, Vancouver 2010 will have exclusive use of Cypress Provincial Park. There will be no spectator or public parking. Deer Ridge and StoneCliff residents will have full access to their homes.

Trucks: Deliveries will be permitted downtown round the clock but are recommended from midnight to 6 a.m., alternately frome 6 a.m. to noon.

Temporary truck routes will be in place from Feb.1 to Mar. 21. They will run on Hastings Street from Main to Burrard Streets, Nelson Street from Burrard Street to Cambie Bridge and Smithe Street from Cambie Bridge to Burrard Street.

Dangerous goods will be allowed midnight to 6 a.m. from Jan. 26 to Mar. 4.

Olympic Departure Hubs: Spectators going to Cypress Mountain will get buses from SFU Burnaby, Capilano University and Lonsdale Quay.

Those going to Whistler Olympic Park and Whistler Sliding Centre will get buses from BCIT in Burnaby and Lonsdale Quay and those going to Whistler Creekside wil go from Langara College.

© copyright (c) CNS Olympics
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Old Posted Oct 16, 2009, 10:11 PM
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Vancouver's going to be a mess on the roads.

I'm staying in Richmond

Of course, it'll probably be pretty bad there as well O.o
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Old Posted Oct 16, 2009, 10:13 PM
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Hehe, my Father was a bus driver during the 1988 Olympics. He was slightly disappointed, the city had dozens of buses waiting at every venue, but, the majority of them were never used... and not once during the Olympics did he actually get to drive anybody on the bus. He just got to sit there... outside the venues, and get paid good money for it.
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Old Posted Oct 16, 2009, 10:17 PM
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Originally Posted by Hed Kandi View Post

In addition to the buses, the city should order more skytrain cars for the Canada Line. As it is the train is bursting to the limits during morning and evening rush hour.

I hate to see what it will be like during the Olympics.
Yea, the Canada Line will be a gong show this time - during the Olympics. There's no way around it. Ideally, they should have ordered 30 trains instead of only 20.

Unfortunately, more trains will take years and years...
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Old Posted Oct 16, 2009, 10:24 PM
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Thay better at least run all the cars we have, instead of sticking to their stupid contract I wish someone would simply put through the shredder.
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Old Posted Oct 16, 2009, 10:28 PM
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I am planning on flying in to Vancouver on the day of, or before, the Opening Ceremonies.

I suppose I'll *have* to take the Canada Line downtown ? In the rain
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Old Posted Oct 16, 2009, 10:36 PM
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It's great to see WCE service increased. I bet it will be VERY popular. East/West travel by car will be the hardest hit by the road closures, so people who usually drive will be flooding the park and rides in the tri-cities.

But I would love to have seen train service between North Van and Whistler. All those buses at Lonsdale Quay is going to be crazy. Just a couple of trains a day could cut the number of buses needed drastically.

I hope the Whistler Mountaineer runs their trains (including their Rocky Mountaineer trainsets) to Whistler. I would pay more than the venue ticket price to take the train. It's a real missed opportunity if no one jumps on it.
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Old Posted Oct 16, 2009, 10:37 PM
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I wish the increased WCE service was permanent. Some of these transit and other policy changes in the city during the Olympics will simply be teases.
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Old Posted Oct 16, 2009, 10:50 PM
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I'm definitely going to use the WCE during the games.. Port Moody to Waterfront. (volunteer position with VANOC at the convention centre)
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Old Posted Oct 16, 2009, 10:54 PM
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Thay better at least run all the cars we have, instead of sticking to their stupid contract I wish someone would simply put through the shredder.
They'll probably only use 18, or 19 at the very most though unlikely.


Are they still only using 16 trains during peak?
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Old Posted Oct 16, 2009, 11:20 PM
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So, why are they closing Canada Place and the Convention Centre during the Olympics?

Those are pretty big tourist draws Well, Canada Place anyways.
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Old Posted Oct 16, 2009, 11:21 PM
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Does seem strange, and yes every time I am on the Canada Line there appears to be at least 4 sets of trains idle.
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Old Posted Oct 16, 2009, 11:35 PM
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Just as long as they don't close my JapaDog, I'll be fine. But if they come for that, oh, they best be prepared.

Strangely, they aren't allowed to sell their Misomayo until after the Olympics by order of the Health board.
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Old Posted Oct 16, 2009, 11:59 PM
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So, why are they closing Canada Place and the Convention Centre during the Olympics?

Those are pretty big tourist draws Well, Canada Place anyways.
Canada Place is also going to be used by visiting media as studios and press rooms in addition to the West Expansion. At least that's what I heard.
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Old Posted Oct 17, 2009, 12:07 AM
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Does seem strange, and yes every time I am on the Canada Line there appears to be at least 4 sets of trains idle.
Well, it saves them money....if they can use 16 trains to handle today's crowds, even if it means some people have to wait for the next train or have to sardine pack an arriving train they'll use 16 trains. Keeping 20% as spare is a bit high. Even for the gong show opening day, they had planned to use 14 trains only. But with the crowds, they switched to 18 trains a few hours after opening.



As for Canada Place and the new convention centre, it's a high priority security zone with 10,000 media personnel working in both buildings. It's a very high profile venue considering that's where the broadcast studios will be. Canada Place is the Main Press Centre while the new convention centre is the International Broadcast Centre.
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Old Posted Oct 17, 2009, 12:34 AM
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I recall how horrible the public transit situation was in Victoria during the 1994 Commonwealth Games. Waits of over two hours were not uncommon as buses were reassigned to transport people to and from events, meanwhile the regular public had to wait as bus after bus passed by full to the brim or just never showed when scheduled.

It was a nightmare that hopefully isn't repeated in Vancouver.
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Old Posted Oct 17, 2009, 3:51 AM
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It's going to be fun times trying to get to work around Canada Way and Willingdon! That intersection will be insane at rush hour, I'd imagine.
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Old Posted Oct 17, 2009, 4:03 AM
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BC Ferries on Standby - what are they smoking, or has Hahn got another ferry stuck up his A** somewhere? When a ferry broke down on the long weekend, BC Ferries had no replacement vessel. So are they going to cancel service to the island and divert ferries to Squamish?

I'd fed up with the 2010 Olympic Security Games already
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