VANOC is hoping that commuting by car is abandoned during the 16 days of the Games. The City of Vancouver will use it as a trial run for its broader transportation objectives.
“Planning and infrastructure investments are paying off as we prioritize walking, biking, transit and goods movement, while attempting to limit single-occupancy vehicle volumes.”
This statement is not a part of VANOC’s Olympic transportation plan, but rather a quote taken directly from the City of Vancouver’s Transportation department website.
Clearly, Vancouver’s car commuters are going to be hard pressed to continue their preferences for getting around during the Games, as exclusive Olympic traffic lanes, severe parking resrictions and closed off streets will make getting behind the wheel a monumental test of patience. Here are just a few facts and figures:
- No. of vehicles now into and out of downtown: 400,000 per day
- No. of vehicles that will be affected by 2010 security closures: 80,000 per day
- Reduction of vehicles into and out of downtown during the Games: 20 per cent.
- Peak hour capacity in/out of the downtown to/from the east: 13,000 vehicles/hour
- Peak hour capacity on same roads during the security closures: 6,000 vehicles/hour
- Reduction of vehicles on east-west roads downtown roads during Games: 50 per cent.
- No of vehicles per day on Robson: 2,000 (near Cambie), up to 8,000 (near Burrard)
- No. of vehicles per day on Hamiltion: 4,000 (near Robson)
The City of Vancouver, however, will be looking very carefully at the successes and failures of such extreme measures to gauge the next steps towards making sustainability the defining feature of our transportation options.
The “Clean, green and healthy transportation” branding that the City of Vancouver is currently trying to achieve relies heavily on selling the concept of a safe and pleasant experience that relieves stress and hassle.
The voluntary nature of this campaign is unlikely to create real change on a significant level, however, making the Olympics an intriguing test for planning Vancouver’s future transportation endeavours.
Take for example the Burrard Bridge bike lane trial, which has resulted in the number of cyclists crossing the bridge to go up by 25%. Keep in mind that the intent behind this trial has been less about getting people out of their cars and more about allowing cyclists to feel safe and comfortable riding into the downtown core. This is evidenced in the fact that nearly the same volume of cars are traveling over the bridge now than before the trial began.
When given options that do not compromise safety or convenience, behaviours change. There are other ways to get people out of their cars, as in charging drivers to enter the downtown core, but this kind of a measure seems like a stretch for the tolerance levels of Vancouver’s residents.
Nonetheless, the Olympics will give city staff the ability to see how people react when presented with highly restrictive conditions regarding their vehicles. If, for example, people see that the other transportation options they are directed towards are tolerable and even enjoyable, City Council might consider moving forward with changes that put a price on the convenience of using a car to get to and from downtown Vancouver.
The Olympics are going to be a very difficult time when it comes to getting from point A to point B within the city limits, but the potential for transformational thinking regarding the prominance of cars in our daily commutes will make those 16 days in February a worthwhile social experiment for our future.
