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Vancouver Eco Fashion Week fundraiser during the Olympics | Myriam Laroche | Granville http://bit.ly/ahLcv7 http://bit.ly/bapdqj
Vancouver Eco Fashion Week fundraiser during the Olympics | Myriam Laroche | Granville http://bit.ly/ahLcv7
Vancouver Eco Fashion Week fundraiser during the Olympics | Myriam Laroche | Granville http://bit.ly/ahLcv7 http://bit.ly/bapdqj
Vancouver Eco Fashion Week fundraiser during the Olympics | Myriam Laroche | Granville http://bit.ly/ahLcv7
MyVancouver: RT @gary_singh: San Jose’s new pubic market project, inspired by @granville_isle in Vancouver: http://bit.ly/dsiAyv
Citizens urged to keep travelling smart as changes to the road network remain for Paralympic Winter Games
Vancouver, BC – The Olympic and Paralympic Transportation Team (OPTT) today thanked the people of Metro Vancouver and the Sea to Sky regions for making the 2010 integrated Olympic transportation plan a success, while urging people to keep traveling smart in view of changes to the transportation network for the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games.
Transportation planners – charged with one of the most complex and critical elements of the Games – set the lofty goal of achieving at least a 30 per cent reduction in vehicle use during the Olympic Games, in order to ensure athletes, officials and others could get to their events on time and local residents could move efficiently.
Throughout the Games, Metro Vancouver and the Sea to Sky corridor saw record numbers of people walking, cycling and taking transit, and an overall reduction in vehicle use. In particular, vehicle use was reduced by an average of more than 35 per cent each day. In addition, TransLink, the public transit operator in Metro Vancouver, moved an average of 1.5 million people per day during the Games, an increase from 730,000 trips per day, while BC Transit, the public transportation provider in the Sea to Sky corridor, saw five times the ridership on the public transit system over normal winter levels.
Paralympic transportation plans
Venues
Building on this success, the OPTT is reminding the public to continue to ‘travel smart’ during the Paralympic Winter Games. While most road networks have been returned to normal, some closures and parking restrictions remain around Paralympic venues during the transition to and throughout the Paralympic Games. These areas include UBC Thunderbird Arena, the Vancouver Paralympic Centre, Paralympic Village Vancouver and BC Place (for March 12 Opening Ceremony). In Whistler, these areas include Whistler Creekside and Paralympic Village Whistler. The public is asked to continue to use sustainable modes of transportation throughout the month of March 2010 and beyond. Details of the 2010 integrated Paralympic transportation plan are outlined in the attached fact sheet.
“We were very happy with the transportation choices that everyone made during the Olympic Winter Games,,” Penny Ballem, city manager of the City of Vancouver said on behalf of the OPTT. “With fewer changes to the road network during the Paralympic Winter Games, we encourage residents, commuters and visitors to continue to leave their vehicles behind and walk, cycle or take transit to get around during this period.”
“It’s important we ensure our Paralympic athletes and other guests have a smooth, positive experience here during the Games,” added Terry Wright, VANOC executive vice president, services and Games operations. “With road closures, parking restrictions and increased volumes around Paralympic Games venues, traveling smart is still the way to go and everyone should know before they go.”
Paralympic Torch relay and Opening Ceremony March 11 and 12
The public is also reminded the Paralympic torch relay will be underway in downtown Vancouver from 2 pm on March 11 to 2 pm on March 12. The current proposed route is a loop that will involve areas along Robson, Granville and Smithe Streets. Traffic will continue to flow on most major streets, however, there will be road closures and restrictions to vehicle traffic along a few blocks of Robson, Smithe, Granville and Bute. Other cross streets will remain open with rolling intermittent road closures as the torch runs past. Commuters are advised to find alternate routes and modes of transportation around the Robson Square area for March 11 and 12.
In addition, temporary road closures and pedestrian corridors will be in place in downtown Vancouver on March 12 to support the Paralympic Winter Games Opening Ceremony at BC Place. Cambie Bridge, as well as portions of Beatty Street and Robson Street will be closed for most of the day on March 12, so driving will be challenging. Up to date information will be made available on the Host City website through travelsmart2010.ca,so that everyone can plan ahead.
Other transportation highlights
- Public transportation service will reflect the anticipated number of transit riders during the Paralympic Games, with event level service planned to serve Paralympic venues in Vancouver, and the Games Express service continuing in Whistler.
- Paralympic Games event tickets include access to public transit for the day of the event.
- Olympic lanes removed in Vancouver as of March 2, though a temporary Paralympic lane will remain on Highway 99 in Whistler from Function Junction to the Village.
- Sea to Sky traffic checkpoint removed as of March 1; no permits required to travel north of Squamish.
- Lane demarcations on Highway 99 will be removed between March 1 and 5.
For the most up-to-date transportation information, visit www.travelsmart2010.ca.
About the OPTT
Members of the Olympic and Paralympic Transportation Team (OPTT) are VANOC, the City of Vancouver, Resort Municipality of Whistler, TransLink, BC Transit, the provincial Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure, and the Vancouver 2010 Integrated Security Unit. Planning is also supported by other partners, including Transport Canada and the municipalities of Richmond and West Vancouver.
Don’t miss a minute of the action! What spectators need to know before going downtown to celebrate the final day of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games.
Whether you are sitting in a seat at Canada Hockey Place or watching from a one of the celebration sites, know before you go and travel smart:
- Plan ahead for extra travel time.
Today there will be very large numbers of pedestrians and crowds traveling into and out of Downtown for the Gold Medal Men’s Hockey Game and the Closing Ceremony, so vehicle travel will be challenging. Come Downtown to celebrate, but don’t bring your car- take transit, walk or cycle, and plan ahead for extra travel time.
- Checkout Travelsmart2010.com for the latest news regarding road restrictions and transportation schedules.
Beatty Street (between Smithe and Dunsmuir) and Robson Street (between Cambie and Beatty) will temporarily close to vehicles and have limited access for pedestrians on February 28 from 8:00 am to midnight. Additionally, Olympic Lanes and temporary parking restrictions extend through to the morning of March 2 to support large volumes of traffic traveling to and from Downtown Vancouver, and to the Vancouver International Airport.
- Celebrate in the streets – responsibly.
Use dedicated pedestrian routes: Pedestrian corridors on streets such as Granville and Robson will continue to operate on February 28. At noon, some or all of the road space will become pedestrian only areas until midnight. Watch out for bus traffic as approximately 600 to 700 motorcoaches and hundreds of transit buses will travel and/or park on many downtown streets between 8:00 am and midnight.
- Get in on the action.If you don’t have tickets for seats inside Canada Hockey Place or BC Place, make your way toRobson Square and LiveCity Yaletown for live broadcasts of the Gold Medal Men’s Hockey Game and Closing Ceremonies on large outdoor screens.
- Get in your seat. Gates to BC Place open at 1:30 pm for the Closing Ceremony. Those arriving early will be able to watch the end of the Gold Medal Men’s Hockey Game live on the giant indoor screens. The pre-show begins at 4:30 pm and includes special instructions for the audience participation elements that will make the Closing Ceremony unique. Those who arrive within the last 90 minute before an event starts typically experience the longest waits for transportation, to clear security, to pass through the ticket gates, and to use the concessions and washrooms – and risk missing the beginning of the show. For these reasons, we encourage ticket holders to arrive at BC Place between 1:30 and 3:30 pm on Sunday.
This week’s challenge: reduce downtown vehicle traffic by 25 per cent
Vancouver, BC ? Two major downtown Vancouver routes will close on Friday as the final phases of the city’s transportation management plan are implemented to respond to traffic demands for the official opening of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games on February 12.
With nine days to go, Games-related traffic is continuing to grow in Vancouver as the world starts to arrive for the Games, including tens of thousands of media, athletes and officials. To carry them to and from their destinations, hundreds of motorcoaches and fleet vehicles are now in operation at the Main Media Centre along the city’s waterfront and at Games venues.
To help reduce Games-time vehicle traffic in the city by at least 30 per cent, commuters, delivery drivers and residents are invited to take part in this week’s TravelSmart 2010 Challenge. The challenge helps prepare everyone ahead of time to manage road closures and significantly reduced on-street public parking.
Significant changes in effect this week:
- Olympic lanes and parking/stopping restrictions begin in Vancouver on Thursday, February 4
? coinciding with the beginning of athlete training at the venues
- Georgia and Dunsmuir Viaducts
close on Friday, February 5
- Temporary truck routes now in effect in Vancouver
- Deliveries permitted in downtown 24 hours a day, however the preferred hours are midnight to 6:00 am
-
Midlothian Avenue
now closed (near the Vancouver Olympic/Paralympic Centre at Hillcrest Park)
This Friday’s vehicle traffic reduction goal is 25 per cent. The overall vehicle traffic reduction goal is at least a 30 per cent reduction by February 12 and throughout the Games
In Whistler, day lots are no longer available for public parking and vehicle permits will be required to travel north of Squamish as of February 11 between 6:00 am and 6:00 pm. Travellers are encouraged to book with a commercial motorcoach to get to Whistler. A list of carriers is available at www.travelsmart2010.ca. Service enhancements have also been put in place for Squamish residents. Residency tests will be applied for access to these enhancements.
The TravelSmart 2010 Challenge promotes incremental reductions in vehicle traffic as phased-in road closures go into effect in Vancouver on each Friday leading up to the Olympic Opening Ceremony.
How are we doing?
“We’re moving in the right direction every week with this challenge and we need even more people to leave their vehicles at home and `know before they go.’ We only have nine days left before the Games are here. To ensure travel success next week and for the rest of the month, we need people to step up and plan ahead so they won’t be disappointed or surprised,” said Terry Wright, executive vice president, services and Games operations for the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC).
“There are lots of travel options for commuters and residents and there’s never been more transit service operating for extended hours. If we all work together, Vancouver and the world will have a great Games experience here in 2010,” added Wright. “This may mean taking public transit or cycling to the office. Teleworking or changing work hours to avoid the Games-time peak travel times into downtown Vancouver between 7:00 am to 9:00 am and 2:00 pm to 7:00 pm are also great options.”
To track the progress of the challenge in reducing vehicle traffic on an incremental basis, the City of Vancouver is conducting data monitoring on behalf of the Olympic and Paralympic Transportation Team (OPTT) each Friday and reporting on the vehicle traffic reduction results publicly the following week.
Last Friday, the overall number of drivers travelling in the downtown was four per cent below normal levels (compared to one per cent on January 22 and four per cent on January 15).
A high number of commuters took public transit or sustainable modes of transportation. There were 122,000 trips on the Canada Line ? one of the highest ridership numbers since the new rapid transit line opened last August. There were also 20,000 trips on the SeaBus indicating continued high transit usage in Vancouver. On the same day, 2,900 cyclists rode into downtown Vancouver across the Burrard, Cambie and Granville bridges.
Commuters are also heeding the TravelSmart message and are avoiding peak travel times into downtown Vancouver between 7:00 am and 9:00 am, as well 2:00 pm to 7:00 pm.
To date, more than 250 companies have signed up and shared their Games-time travel plans for their employees and deliveries with the OPTT. These organizations will be recognized in full-page ads in The Vancouver Sun and The Province on February 6 and 7.
These organizations were also entered in weekly draws leading up to the Games for a chance to win 50 tickets to nightly Victory Ceremonies at BC Place, where Olympic athletes will stand on the podium to receive their medals and top Canadian entertainment will rock the crowd. This week’s companies that won sets of 50 tickets each are: SAP Canada and Mindfield Group. For more information on how to build a Games-time travel plan, contact: travelsmart@translink.ca.
Safety Reminder for Pedestrians and Drivers:
In light of recent road closures for vehicle traffic as part of the Games integrated transportation plan, the OPTT is reminding the general public to take extra care in their travels, no matter what mode of transport they choose.
Vehicles and cyclists are reminded to slow down, be prepared for new traffic measures and drive with extra care given changes to the road network and the increase in foot traffic in the downtown core.
Closed roadways may still be used by venue traffic therefore pedestrians should stay off roadways and remain on safe, dedicated pedestrian routes such as sidewalks, seaside paths and specially designated Games-time pedestrian corridors.
Important reminders on how to TravelSmart:
For the most up-to-date transportation information available now and during the Games, visit www.travelsmart2010.ca. The website portal directs users to the appropriate OPTT member website for the information they are seeking, such as the City of Vancouver, Resort Municipality of Whistler, TransLink, BC Transit, or VANOC.
About the OPTT
Members of the Olympic and Paralympic Transportation Team (OPTT) are VANOC, the City of Vancouver, Resort Municipality of Whistler, TransLink, BC Transit, the provincial Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure, and the Vancouver 2010 Integrated Security Unit. Planning is also supported by other partners, including Transport Canada and the municipalities of Richmond and West Vancouver.
About VANOC
VANOC is responsible for the planning, organizing, financing and staging of the XXI Olympic Winter Games and the Paralympic Winter Games in 2010. The 2010 Olympic Winter Games will be staged in Vancouver and Whistler from February 12 to 28, 2010. Vancouver and Whistler will host the Paralympic Winter Games from March 12 to 21, 2010. Visit www.vancouver2010.com.