Let's fast forward a few months...
You made it! After endless weeks of planning, plotting, scheming and saving, you've not only managed to make it to Vancouver 2010 safely but you've even managed to settled into your gorgeous furnish vacation rental and put your jetlag to rest with a good night's sleep. And now, full of espresso, enthusiasm and expectation you're ready to commute to your first ever Olympic venue to cheer your country on towards gold!
Ten minutes later you're standing in the rain surrounded by a dizzying whirlwind of buses, sea buses, skytrains, taxis and pontoon planes, not to mention a couple of million annoyingly chipper Vancouverites... oh, and you forgot your umbrella.
Getting around the 2010 Winter Olympics doesn't have to be this difficult. In fact, the city of Vancouver has gone to great lengths to ease the to-and-fro aspects of your Olympic experience. But before you embark there are several important facts that must be taken to heart before arriving on Canada's West Coast:
-Your umbrella is your best friend. Whether you're lining up for the speed skating events on the Fraser River Delta or bashing your cowbell with abandon at Whistler's downhill venue, it's either going to be raining, snowing or sunny. (and sometimes all in one day) So with the odds stacked depressingly against you, chances are that something's going to be falling out of the sky. Don't flip the bird at the weather gods. Be prepared.
-Leave the car at the rental lot. One thing you won't find at Vancouver's Olympic Venues is spectator parking. Why? Imagine the parking lot at the JC Penny Boxing Day Sale. Now multiply that by a billion. Get the picture? Save your money for a few après-event drinks. Hey, it's not like you're driving!
The key to Olympic happiness is really that simple. An umbrella and public transportation. Remember, this is a city that including its municipalities covers 96 kilometres that play home to 2.1 million people. Venues pepper the map from the Richmond lowlands to the City Centre to Cypress Mountain. Even the Whistler venues are just 3 hours north. In a city this big, there are numerous methods of getting around if you just know where to look. And with Vancouver's drive toward environmental sustainability these methods are not only easy and convenient - they're also affordable.
Metropolitan Vancouver is serviced by Translink, the company that controls the SeaBuses that navigate the Burrard Inlet, the city buses, the West Coast Express commuter train and the automated rapid transit system commonly known as the SkyTrain. Originally built to connect Vancouver's eastern suburbs with the Downtown Core, the newly expanded SkyTrain features the Canada Line, a 16-stop, 25-minute connector between Vancouver International Airport (YVR) and the City Centre. Of course, if you're coming via Vancouver Island or any of the smaller Gulf Islands for that matter, the BC Ferry fleet boast the new, impressive Super Ferries that make this short sail as pleasurable as it is memorable.
Translink's commuter buses alone provide an ideal form of transportation with countless routes, frequent service and multiple stops. And fulfilling Vancouver's role as a world leader in progressive transportation systems, they also provide a wide range of accessible routes and adaptive services. The majority of buses are either lift-equipped or have low-floor access. Part of the City of Vancouver's Host City Transportation Concept Plan includes an additional fleet of buses dedicated solely to transporting spectator to and from Olympic venues. Other Game-time improvements will include 48 new SkyTrain cars, a third SeaBus and 85 additional buses joining the 115 that were recently added.
Temporary measures will also be activated once the torch had been lit. The West Coast Express will add half a dozen more weekday trips and 16 more weekend trips for an 80% capacity increase during the Games. Some 180 more buses and 30 more HandyDART vehicles will join the Metro Vancouver fleet. SeaBus and SkyTrain schedules will implement extended hours. Current parking restrictions will be enforced 24-7 in particular downtown areas. City foot traffic will increase substantially when certain roads are re-designated as pedestrian corridors. And none of these improvements will inhibit local business nor hamper residential access. Did we mention that Vancouver's a world leader in transportation?
Additionally, with memorable catchphrases like "Knowing before you go" and preparing for "business as unusual", the Travelsmart initiative is hoping to be instrumental in promoting local awareness to achieve a 30% reduction in vehicle traffic through the period of the Games by encouraging Vancouverites to walk, cycle or join their guests on the new and improved public transit systems.
But what of Whistler? One might presume that transportation-wise, Vancouver 2010's slightly more remote alpine venue could get the short end of the... hockey stick. Guess again. The newly expanded Sea to Sky Highway that connects this world-famous resort town with big brother Vancouver is a safe and beautiful journey - not the nail-biting ride of days gone by. And once you're there, things are equally as impressive. Expanded 24-hour bus routes connect Whistler to the neighbouring communities of Squamish and Pemberton. Getting around couldn't be easier with the Whistler and Valley Express (WAVE) transit system which includes buses with low floors, ramps and wheelchair/scooter access. The BC Transit fleet that services the Pemberton-Whistler-Squamish area will expand from 39 buses to 135 and have five times the existing service hours running 24-7 once the Games come to town.
In 2010, Vancouver and Whistler are going to see more visitors than ever in their history. All you have to do is get there. Remember, leave the car and bring an umbrella. And enjoy the ride!
Visit vancouver2010.com for the latest updates to all Metropolitan Vancouver and Whistler transportation services as well as timetables, traffic flow information, maps and travel conditions.
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