Is Travel during the Olympics Going to be a Nightmare?
We're hearing so much about travel in London during the Olympics, I'm getting worried what it's going to be like. So I took a bit of time to try and find out a few facts.
Apparently there are going to be something like an extra half million people travelling in London each day with three million additional trips in London on the busiest day of the Games. 80% of spectators will travel by tube and rail. That's a lot of extra journeys!
Some people say that TfL are running a scaremongering campaign to keep people off the trains and roads. I'm not sure, maybe so, maybe not, but you can't have all those extra bodies without an impact. TfL say that unless people change their travel habits we can expect half hour waits for the tube at certain times of the day. By way of an example, I'm attaching an infographic with the TfL estimation of wait times at Bank Station hour by hour for each day of the games. (You can get the same thing for other stations on the GAOTG website)
So what to do? If you're like me you'll still have to travel most days. So, I'm arming myself with as much info as possible. TfL have added a journey planner page to their 'Get Ahead of the Games' Website. It has links to help plan your travel and downloadable daily bulletins with detailed info about travel on each day of the Games. They've even produced a guide for Wandsworth, which I've attached for everyone.
Wandsworth Council also have a page of info on travel during the Olympics which is quite helpful.
That's what I'll use. The only question that remains is should I clog up my Twitter feed with the live travel bulletins from TfL on @GAOTG ?
Apparently there are going to be something like an extra half million people travelling in London each day with three million additional trips in London on the busiest day of the Games. 80% of spectators will travel by tube and rail. That's a lot of extra journeys!
Some people say that TfL are running a scaremongering campaign to keep people off the trains and roads. I'm not sure, maybe so, maybe not, but you can't have all those extra bodies without an impact. TfL say that unless people change their travel habits we can expect half hour waits for the tube at certain times of the day. By way of an example, I'm attaching an infographic with the TfL estimation of wait times at Bank Station hour by hour for each day of the games. (You can get the same thing for other stations on the GAOTG website)
So what to do? If you're like me you'll still have to travel most days. So, I'm arming myself with as much info as possible. TfL have added a journey planner page to their 'Get Ahead of the Games' Website. It has links to help plan your travel and downloadable daily bulletins with detailed info about travel on each day of the Games. They've even produced a guide for Wandsworth, which I've attached for everyone.
Wandsworth Council also have a page of info on travel during the Olympics which is quite helpful.
That's what I'll use. The only question that remains is should I clog up my Twitter feed with the live travel bulletins from TfL on @GAOTG ?
Comments
Living in Battersea we will be on the ORN route with all the silliness which it is producing. There are a couple of streets in the immediate area which I can't see being able to use their vehicles without great detours. Can't cross from Battersea High Street to Falcon Road, can't turn right - can only turn left .. travel up to Vauxhall, go around the one way system and then come back on yourself to turn up Falcon Road to go to ASDA. Bus stops and pedestrian crossings moved - what about the people will less mobility than the norm?
Can you even get a bus from Clapham Junction down to Battersea High Street/Battersea Park Road ... it has to turn right.
Shops on the route .. how will they get their stocks in? Sainsbury's Local .. they will only be able to get overnight deliveries, if at all. No overnight deliveries permitted as it is in a residential area?
Here's one .. in a three lane road - one lane dedicated to the ORN ... the bus lane suspended and integrated with the rest of the unimportant people .. the cycle lane integrated as well.. the traffic can only flow to the speed of a bike? What happens in a breakdown situation? Everyone queuing being the stricken vehicle until the tow truck arrives - but how will be get there? £130 fine fo going into the ORN???
There is a two lane road .. how will they have a dedicated ORN lane? Contraflow? From the A3 - seriously?
All around there are notices on the lamp posts - with two totally different dates which we have to avoid the area and roads. 15th July or 24/25th July? To August or September?
Getaheadofthegames.com is a fairly good website but I feel many will be stranded and unable to use public transport which is being hailed as the saviour of the roads during this time.
All in all .. a logisitical nightmare devised by people not of the area and agreed by people working for the area (supposedly).
Public sector workers have been given shift patterns to cover this issue so most have been told they can come in early or late to miss the rush times
I've just dug my bike out after nearly 10 years of not cycling to avoid having to use the transport network.
We have the games here it will be a great event, the travel inconvenience is not great BUT if you saw the extent of the work that has happened in east London and how they have over hauled the place and how much better the quality of life for the thousands of people who live there will be in that area I'm sure you would agree that it is worth a few weeks of inconvenience.
I'm excited for the games! I think it will be great!
Living on Battersea Park Road, the ORN is going to be a complete nightmare - I really wanted to setup a time lapse camera to show how ineffective its going to prove to be, but whats to gain by pointing out what we already know after the event to a bunch of bureaucrats who don't give a monkeys ...
Anyone thought how the ORN is going to be enforced - its one lay that operates in two directions depending on the time of the day as as far as I can see there are no new enforcement cameras deployed, so local knowledge should help avoid a fine.
MissJ .. try working for a hospital and say you will be given a different shift pattern to the norm and you will be met with cynical expressions. They have been told there WILL BE NO deviation from set working shifts. Those not volunteering for the Games WILL cover for those absent 'doing their good deeds' and no leave will be taken until it is over to ensure all areas are covered. You WILL be on time or disciplined. You will work late, as required.
On another note .. good for them in East London ... Nope - can't see the benefit for this area. At all. All I can see is chaos and money making in the form of fines. Nobody has yet asnwered my queries...
Ideas on the back of a stamp??
1) if you cannot change your hours that's fine. The campaign asks that those who can will help the situation by doing so - I.e. will be helping your situation
2) what about people with less mobitily? Agree there may be some problems for some people - but how about remembering how much benefit the the Games and particularly the Paralympics will bring to the disabled sector
3) stocks for businesses - nighttime deliveries have been allowed and encouraged. TfL have been working with businesses over that last year to enable this
4). I must admit I don't understand the questions about ORN 's on a 3 lane road nor the tow truick point. Is it not equal to a tow truck having to use a bus lane sometimes.
5) the will not be contra flow ORN lanes on the A3 on anything I have seen
6) congestion will increase from 15th of July and people start arriving in London. special lanes (the ORN) will come into operation 24th June. Operational dates depend whether the restrictions are for individual events (such as the weekend races) or for the Olympic period or for both Olympic period and Paralympic period
I think I've picked up all the questions. sorry the answers don't fit on the back of a stamp
People with less mobility will start to take chances crossing the roads! You speak of those with a disability, I speak of the elderly, the wobbly, the ones who wouldn't walk that far to cross a road. Since moving the bus stop (going towards the Junction/Wandsworth) up to Christchurch Gardens (old 44 bus stop) folk take their life in their hands crossing the road there. Moving crossings and bus stops will make it worse.
You speak on the assumption that everyone welcomes and wants the Olympics and think the disruption worth every moment .. I wish I could find folk to agree with you.
The road from West Hill to Tibbetts Corner. At points there is absolutely no room for three lanes but there will (apparently) be an ORN lane. How? If there is no contra-flow.. how?
Sainsburys (again apparently) have been told they cannot have their deliveries made overnight - on a red route so the lorries have to park in a residential road and deliver .. been told no overnight concessions.
I think it is a suck it and see situation, let's hope it isn't a lemon taste making us all squint!
@ Vivian. I never said (or thought) that all welcome or want the Olympics. That would be infantile. However please recognise that you may well be surrounded by Olympic dislikers as much as I am surrounded by Olympic enthusiasts.
I do understand te point about elderly and less mobile however would set against that the thousands and millions of the same elderly who will enjoy the games both in the stadia, on TV and not least as volunteers being part of the Olympics. I've been to the volunteer training and many of those there are older folk.Take a look at who turns out for the torch relay - I think you may see a few elderly and infirm struggling to have a look.
Sainsbury's will get their deliveries in - they can't have it both ways as they are sponsors of the Paralympics!
I'm looking forward to the taste of milk and honey rather than lemon and sour grapes!
Anyway it appears TFL have a solution. They've put down road markings using a water soluble adhesive, and so all the white lines along the ORN (well bits of them) have come off, thank God for British summers.
where is that from?
Rush-hour chaos on the M4 as first Olympic lane opens | Mail Onlinewww.dailymail.co.uk/.../Rush-hour-chaos-M4-Olympic-lane-opens.h...1 day ago – Rush-hour chaos on the M4 as first Olympic lane opens and drivers find themselves caught in horrendous 32-mile tailback. Scenes of drivers ...
Confirms my opinion of the Daily Mail - facts are not thier strong point
the people carrier incident...not really the Olympics fault if people can't read a simple signed message (and it does appear that people cannot understand the simple messages). Perhaps they were too busy on mobile phone calls.
Comments are closed. Why not start a new conversation?