Transport for London Olympics 2012

With more than four million extra people expected in London over the Olympic period, hosting the Olympic and Paralympic Games will have a dramatic impact on London. In particular, London’s public transport and road network will be in acute demand.  Issues for boroughs to consider include:

• The Olympic and Paralympics Route Network (ORN and PRN): This refers to all the special routes used by games family vehicles during the Olympic and Paralympics Games. Restrictions on the ORN/PRN will have a knock-on effect on surrounding roads, largely managed by boroughs, particularly as the ORN/PRN passes through some of the most congested parts of London. Read more about the ORN here. 
• Travel demand management (TDM): The TDM programme, run by the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) in conjunction with Transport for London (TfL), aims to reduce background demand for road space and public transport by about 30 per cent during the Games. Read more about this here. 
•  Parking: There may be exceptional demand for parking spaces – not just around venues, but also near rail and transport hubs. Boroughs may need to consider enhancements at Games time, such as removing parked vehicles that are obstructing traffic or enlarging Controlled Parking Zones. 
•  Boroughs as service providers: With road closures and access restrictions in place, transport-dependent services (elderly care, meals-on-wheels, refuse collection, care placements, emergency maintenance etc) could all be affected. Boroughs may need to re-route or re-schedule some of these services if they are affected by the Games. 
• Boroughs as business consumers: Boroughs have a role to play in ensuring their supply chain contributes to the drop in background travel demand. 
• Boroughs as employers: Boroughs may need to consider how many members of their staff are essential and how many could either be encouraged to take leave or work away from the office during the busiest days of the Games. 
• Boroughs as community leaders: Boroughs may need to explain the local impact of the Games to residents and businesses.

More information on transport during the London Olympics can be found on the Transport for London (TfL) website Opens in a new window.