Transportation

The following are the IOCC's recommendations to the Olympic Organizers and their partners about transportation.

These recommendations were put forth by Better Environmentally Sound Transportation - BEST

  1. Make sustainable transportation legacies. The Bid Corporation advises that this bid is all about legacies. Ensure that legacies from the Olympics include at least as much long-lasting transit and active transportation investments as road investments. It is not acceptable, for example, to build roads on the one hand, and rent temporary transit services on the other hand. The Bid should leave a legacy of transportation investments that are environmentally-sensitive and appropriate to a major sporting event, for instance a network of greenways, urban trails, etc.
  2. Those who benefit, pay. Ensure that areas, companies and individuals who benefit from transportation investments shoulder the costs of those investments.
  3. Environmental Assessments for major projects. Any proposed investments in projects costing more than $100 million must, before proceeding to a detailed planning stage, undergo a review by the Auditor General, and a full environmental assessment by an independent body that considers:

    The impact of the project and alternative ways of meeting the needs the project is meant to address.

    The impacts of carrying out the project and of alternative ways of carrying out the project. The impact of the costs of construction and operation of the project on the future moneys available for buses and other transit and active transportation investments in the region.
  4. Improve regional rail capacity and service. Improve the speed, frequency and capacity of passenger rail from Vancouver to Whistler and Seattle.

BEST's Transportation Principles

What follows is a list of the principles that BEST used in formulating their transporation recommendations.

  1. Local long-term priorities. Follow long-term regional transportation needs and priorities identified in regional plans that received significant public consultation and were formally adopted prior to the Olympic Bid Corporation being established (including the GVRD's Livable Region Strategic Plan and TransLink’s Strategic Transportation Plan adopted in 2000). Do not let locally-determined priorities for the future be over-run for a two-week event.
  2. Legacies. The Bid Corporation advises that this bid is all about legacies. Ensure that legacies from the Olympics include at least as much long-lasting transit and active transportation investments as road investments. It is not acceptable, for example, to build roads on the one hand, and rent temporary transit services on the other hand. The Bid should leave a legacy of transportation investments that are environmentally-sensitive and appropriate to a major sporting event, for instance a network of greenways, urban trails, etc.
  3. Those who benefit, pay. Ensure that areas, companies and individuals who benefit from transportation investments shoulder the full costs of those investments.
  4. Optimize locations. Select event venues, locations and accommodation on the basis of making best use of existing transit and planned transit services as identified in regional plans. Guarantee that all Olympic site locations are accessible by public and active modes of transportation.
  5. Transportation demand management. Increasing supply is not the best form of traffic congestion management. Emphasize and prioritize demand management measures so as to minimize expensive new infrastructure costs. For example, Olympic transportation plans should include promotion of work-hour adjustments, closure of non-essential services and some government offices, and providing free public transit with venue tickets.
  6. Assessments of major projects. Any proposed investments in projects costing more than $100 million will, before proceeding to a detailed planning stage, undergo a review by the Auditor General, and full environmental assessment by an independent body that considers:

    The impact of the project and alternative ways of meeting the needs the project is meant to address.

    The impacts of carrying out the project and of alternative ways of carrying out the project.

    The impact of the costs of construction and operation of the project on the future moneys available for buses and other transit investments in the region.
  7. Active transportation first. Include cycling and pedestrians facilities in all transit, bridge, rail or highway projects (including upgrades to existing facilities). These facilities must be built to meet or exceed recognized standards for such facilities. All new and upgraded locations must have secure bicycle parking for at least 6% of their capacity. Allow bicycles on all transit vehicles (boats, trains and buses). Connect Whistler facilities and accommodations with a network of trails that can be used for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing in the winter, and cycling, walking and inline-skating in the summer. Provide spectators, volunteers, employees and athletes with the opportunity to easily and affordably rent cross-country skis and snowshoes, and temporary facilities to securely store them.
  8. Clean vehicles. Any new or leased transit or other vehicles should be zero emission, and must at the least be very low emission, such as hybrid or state-of-the-art CNG (compressed natural gas).
  9. Maximize environmental and community benefits. For large scale projects, where there is a choice between minimizing costs and spending a small percentage more to maximize the environmental and community benefits of the project, spend the extra and obtain the benefits. Minimize environmental impacts of all transportation spending.
  10. Plan ahead. Plan projects well in advance, and allow ample time for project construction, in order to minimize costs, maximize benefits and allow for meaningful public consultation.
  11. Protect communities and neighbourhoods. Minimize construction and operational impacts of projects on the communities and neighbourhoods that they pass through.
  12. Burrard inlet. Do not construct a fixed link crossing over Burrard Inlet unless the crossing is rail only.
  13. No roads in watersheds. There must be no new highways or roads constructed in valleys used as water supplies for residents in Greater Vancouver or Whistler.
  14. Public road spending only for repairs and maintenance. Limit any publicly-funded improvements to highways to those required solely for safety reasons. Any safety improvements must include wide shoulders as they improve conditions and safety for cyclists as well as motorists. No public funds or government financing shall be used in either the planning, construction or operational phases of new roads or increases in road capacity.
  15. Improve regional rail service. Improve the speed, frequency and capacity of passenger rail from Vancouver to Whistler and Seattle.