Is Travel during the Olympics Going to be a Nightmare?

[the-e-dealer]

It will be a nightmare - It always is why should it improve during the Olympics?

[Twirly]

One thing that I'm not clear about is timings for travel and how the games will impact. Most people going to work are aiming to get there for between 8.30 and 9.30, hence rush hour. Is this when people will also be trying to get to the starts of events? Are they really starting volleyball in horseguards parade at 9am, for example? (I haven't looked, I have to admit, as I am not in the least bit interested in any sporting activities.) Surely those extra journeys are going to be scattered throughout the day, and not all at rush hour? I wonder what extra percentage of journeys that is over and above what normally take place? 3 million sounds a lot, but is it 10% extra or 100% extra?

I've just tried using the TFL journey planner for Monday 6th August, and it made me laugh. I usually take a train to Victoria and then a bus to Park Lane, which goes via Hyde Park Corner. I put departure time from Victoria as 8.45 and asked to travel by bus... it diverted me via Tooting Broadway taking 2 hours for what is normally a 10 minute bus journey or a 25 minute walk! That is totally ludicrous and completely unhelpful. And it makes me wonder if there will be any buses leaving Victoria bus station on that day, but I can't see easily on the website if that is the case, or if they will simply have diversions in place... So I'm still completely in the dark as to how my journey will function on that day.

[the-e-dealer]

As I could Only get para olympic tickets - I want to see the Park not the sport!- I only have their timetables but yes many of the event are cleverly timed to start at 9am. and finish between 4 and 5. Brilliant! If they had been timed to start at 10 and finish at 6.30 now that would have been clever!

[Twirly]

Thank you e-dealer. And yes, that is incredibly stupid.

A little further poking around on the website and it appears that the buses that run up Park Lane normally won't be able to (but can't see if they are diverted, or simply not running to/from Victoria), however, the 38 is running from Victoria up Piccadilly, so I shall be able to get a bus part of the way. I normally walk to Victoria on the way home (I work part time, so leave at lunchtime) so that will be fine, but I don't usually have time in the mornings (or the energy!).

Bah humbug :(

[Loz]

Lowlander Wrote:

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> Ooh, someone who'll be using the lanes officially

> on the ED forum!

>

> Having checked, cyclists won't be fined...

Looks like 95% of Games Lanes are off limits to cyclists. ?130 fine.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/bike-blog/2012/jul/10/olympics-regulations-cyclists

[Lowlander]

So that would be a Penalty Charge Notice, which

?can only be issued by civil enforcement officers (local authority/TfL)

?therefore cannot be issued by the police

?needs a vehicle registration number

So legally bicycles are excempt from these restrictions.

[the-e-dealer]

Theyll go on the pavement anyway.

[Lowlander]

Exactly, and on the pavements there's no red lights to watch out for :-)

[Loz]

"Cyclists who stray into the Games Lanes will face a fixed penalty of ?130 and their bike will be impounded if they are unable to pay."

http://www.eta.co.uk/2012/07/09/olympic-road-ban-cyclists-will-put-lives-risk

This could be an Olympic spectator sport all of its own!

[Lowlander]

Loz Wrote:

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> "Cyclists who stray into the Games Lanes will face

> a fixed penalty of ?130 and their bike will be

> impounded if they are unable to pay."

>

> http://www.eta.co.uk/2012/07/09/olympic-road-ban-c

> yclists-will-put-lives-risk

>

> This could be an Olympic spectator sport all of

> its own!

I was about to say the same thing :-)

Anyway, back to London Bridge Station, how bad will that be for just using the service to and from ED and then walking / getting a bus?

[the-e-dealer]

and for once I say good luck to the cyclists. I wish I could drive my car on the pavement

[Bic Basher]

On Tuesday, London Bridge did a test run of their Olympic policy, this included sending passengers from the Southern platforms via the main entrance, Borough High Street and Tooley Street to get to the tube station instead of the escalator straight there.

According to my boss, it took 30 mins to do this in the morning peak. I dread to think what it'll be during the games.

[ednewmy]

^ I encountered that in the evening and it was a complete nightmare. It also seemed largely pointless to divert everyone the way they were doing so.

I work at the venue formerly known as The O2 arena, so not only will I have to contend with LB, but North Greenwich tube as well. Then there's the fort-kox-esque security that seems to be descending on the O2 to get through every day as well. Airport style security checks every day...just to get to work. OH JOY.

[the-e-dealer]

I drove through Greenwich yesterday and at Woolwich there was a sign

"HA HA ROAD CLOSED 25th JULY to 9 September"

Bastards!

[lpool]

Normally I would comment and give advice here but as Transportguy who started this thread is possibly a journalist I will restrict myself to saying it will be very busy and that using the GAOG website is a smart move as it will tell you which stations within London will be very busy at certain times of the day.

[AbDabs]

Bic Basher Wrote:

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> On Tuesday, London Bridge did a test run of their

> Olympic policy, this included sending passengers

> from the Southern platforms via the main entrance,

> Borough High Street and Tooley Street to get to

> the tube station instead of the escalator straight

> there.

>

> According to my boss, it took 30 mins to do this

> in the morning peak. I dread to think what it'll

> be during the games.

Do you think your boss may have been exaggerating just a little bit, or was it the time that caused the problem? I went through LB at about 0800hrs and it took me less time than normal - everyone seemed to be funneled into particular routes so we didn't get the jamming caused by flows of people crossing each other that you normally get.

I'm guessing that when things get bad, they'll be very very bad, but if you go a little earlier than normal you may find it pleasantly organised.

[SeatDulwich]

As it's during the school holidays I reckon the total number of passengers/journeys will be less than normal. BUT, the number of people making unfamiliar journeys is going to be much greater. Lots of people to faffing around at stations not knowing whether to turn left or right is going to cause queues and backlogs.

The authorities buggering about with the entrances and exits at London Bridge is absurd - instead of 10% of travellers (folk going to the Games) being in unfamiliar territory, they'll end up with 100% of travellers (folk going to the Games + commuters) in unfamiliar territory.

Don't get me wrong, I'm very pro- the Games, and I'm sure the experts in urban transit have made their best efforts, but to any chaos at London Bridge will entirely manufactured in my view.

Hopefully once all the Olympic signage goes up things will become much clearer for us all.

[Twirly]

So this morning I decided to do a test run of an alternative route. I work part way between Green Park and Bond Street stations, and since I don't really like the tube, my usual route is bus to either Peckham Rye or Denmark Hill, train to Victoria, then bus to Park Lane. Alternative is to London Bridge and then the Jubilee line, but that is going to be a serious problem during the Games I suspect. I could walk from Victoria, but it would probably take me at least half an hour (it does on the way home when I walk back to Victoria - and that's down hill).

So, I decided to catch a bus to Elephant and Castle (the 12, as that's what came along first) and then get the Bakerloo Line to Oxford Circus and walk from there. Firstly, there was an accident on Peckham Road so one lane was closed (hope the young girl I saw being helped by the paramedic was OK) which caused tailbacks and longer to get to Elephant and Castle than I anticipated. Then when I did get there, the Bakerloo line had just been suspended due to a fire at Piccadilly... so I had to get the Northern Line to Stockwell and then the Victoria to Green Park - and arrived 45 minutes late for work, and the Olympics haven't even started yet! Since I only work 4 hours a day, this is particularly galling.

Tomorrow I'm going to try the 37 to Brixton and the Victoria Line from there... wish me luck.

[Damon Baird]

I'm quite involved in the transport system and planning of the Olympics (although I don't want to give too much away about how), so have a very good understanding of what is to come.

LB will be an absolute nightmare. The link Transportguy put up is as accurate as can be calculated and predicted. LB will be subject throughout the games to their one way queuing system, both in and out of the station. The test event that took place is exactly how the station is set to run.

There has been no scaremongering on behalf of the transport providers, it will be busy.

Also the starting time of the events is generally 0900. Tickets state get there 2/3 hours before (depending on the event). Factor in travelling time and that means that public transport will start to be busy from 0530 - 0630 in the morning.

Add in all the side events going on like London Live, plus all the business trying to capitlise by doing events of their own. Late night and extended shopping.... it will be a tough load of weeks getting around town.

Expect queuing to get into most zone 1 stations, which is pretty much guaranteed for the main ones, expect delays on trains/LUL from cramped trains (and the people blocking the doors causing more problems then people realise) and expect your journey times to double.

Personally I'll be cycling everywhere I can. Its far easier to change routes and get out of traffic that way. Fine for my 10 mile round trip, but might not be an option for someone doing a 10 mile one way trip...

Good luck all! try not to get stressed its only for 2 weeks... the paralympics should be quite as bad.

[EJTH]

Don't know if it will be the traffic or the people who will be the problem. Spent most of the past week in and out of ED via LB and most issues arise when non-Londoners stand on the right on the escalators or stop dead in front of you with a map. Nearly poleaxed someone as I was going down the escalators at a pace and she backed out into the right side of the steps to talk to a mate.

Really going to need lots of patience over the coming weeks......

[BB100]

Stratford station was unbearable today without any spectators or athletes.

[hoser]

I'm still not sure WHY London Bridge is set to be a nightmare, since it's not near any venues, southeastern trains won't be stopping there, and I'm not sure how many olympic spectators will be staying in Coulsden South. However I don't doubt that it will be a mysterious nightmare....

[Undisputedtruth]

London Bridge station will be busy in the afternoons and evenings as many of the Olympic events are taking place in the afternoons. There should be no problems during the mornings. Southeastern trains are expected to stop at London Bridge unless there are safety concerns due to large crowds. All information came from Vince Lucas, Southeastern's director for service delivery.

[Bic Basher]

Undisputedtruth Wrote:

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> London Bridge station will be busy in the

> afternoons and evenings as many of the Olympic

> events are taking place in the afternoons. There

> should be no problems during the mornings.

> Southeastern trains are expected to stop at London

> Bridge unless there are safety concerns due to

> large crowds. All information came from Vince

> Lucas, Southeastern's director for service

> delivery.

Beach Volleyball starts at 0900 at Horseguards Parade, nearest station Charing Cross. Equestrian at Greenwich at between 10 and midday. The events at Greenwich alone will cause problems for commuters on the Woolwich line during the morning peak and have cut services from Maze Hill and will close Woolwich Dockyard for the whole duration of the games.

Services will be extremely busy throughout the day as some events won't finish until midnight (i.e. Basketball) and TfL will introduce a third peak between 10pm-11.30 on tube services adding extra services to the normal evening timetable.

London Overground will be running extra services down to Forest Hill and HOP until 0248 from Canada Water.

[Applespider]

Undisputedtruth Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> London Bridge station will be busy in the

> afternoons and evenings as many of the Olympic

> events are taking place in the afternoons. There

> should be no problems during the mornings.

> All information came from Vince

> Lucas, Southeastern's director for service

> delivery.

That doesn't fill me with confidence. The majority of sports have a morning (8.30 - 10am starts) and an evening (from 6pm starts) sessions. The spectator instructions suggest arriving 60-90 minutes pre-session which means people will be travelling during the morning rush.