Final phase of Olympic Transportation Plan released
Posted Jan 12, 2010 2:53 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER – Vancouver residents are being asked to forget using their cars during next month’s Winter Olympics, particularly during the opening and closing ceremonies.
The local organizing committee, known as VANOC, says about 100,000 people will converge in the city’s core on Feb. 12 for the opening ceremonies, including performers, crew, media, athletes and spectators.
The opening day will be further complicated by the final day of the torch relay, which spends most of the day downtown before heading to the opening ceremonies.
There will be road closures and restrictions in and around the city’s downtown before and during the Olympics, but there will be additional closures for the first and last days _ Feb. 12 and Feb. 28.
Another challenge has been the buses heading from Vancouver to nearby Cypress Mountain and Whistler, with fewer than half of ticket holders having booked spots on the only buses heading to the venues.
VANOC has extended early-bird pricing for another week to encourage spectators to reserve their tickets, but organizers say more than 90 per cent of ticket holders have indicated they plan to use the bus system.
