44 replies to this topic

[TransportGuy]

We're hearing so much about travel in London during the Olympics, I'm getting worried what it's going to be like. So I took a bit of time to try and find out a few facts.

Apparently there are going to be something like an extra half million people travelling in London each day with three million additional trips in London on the busiest day of the Games. 80% of spectators will travel by tube and rail. That's a lot of extra journeys!

In total, London will host 7% more visitors than average during the Games period, with the largest number of these coming from the USA (19% of total expected arrivals), then Germany (8%), Australia, Italy and Canada. Visitors from BRICS nations (Brazil, China, India, Russia and South Africa) will account for 9% of total arrivals.

Some people say that TfL are running a scaremongering campaign to keep people off the trains and roads. I'm not sure, maybe so, maybe not, but you can't have all those extra bodies without an impact. TfL say that unless people change their travel habits we can expect half hour waits for the tube at certain times of the day. By way of an example, I'm attaching an infographic with the TfL estimation of wait times at London Bridge Station hour by hour for each day of the games. (You can get the same thing for other stations on the GAOTG website)

So what to do? If you're like me you'll still have to travel most days. So, I'm arming myself with as much info as possible. TfL have added a journey planner page to their 'Get Ahead of the Games' Website. It has links to help plan your travel and downloadable daily bulletins with detailed info about travel on each day of the Games. Here are the main links to the inetractive maps:

Public transport http://www.getaheadofthegames.com/travelinaffectedareas/city/london-public- transport.html
Rail: http://www.getaheadofthegames.com/travelinaffectedareas/city/london-nationa l-rail.html
Roads: http://www.getaheadofthegames.com/travelinaffectedareas/city/london-driving -and-roads.html

That's what I'll use. The only question that remains is should I clog up my Twitter feed with the live travel bulletins from TfL on @GAOTG ?


Posted as part of an Olympics travel awareness campaign on London's hyperlcoal websites

Attached Files

•  London-Bridge.png   41.38K   8 downloads

[Summit Lover]

I'm just going to plough ahead on the fanciful assumption that my route into work won't be unduly affected!

[Sidney Ruff-Diamond]

I did a reccy last week of my route to the stadium which avoids London. I'm hoping everyone else hasn't bothered and goes on the tube so I get the DLR to myself.

[cheerfulmusicman]

I originally viewed this as scare-mongering, my employer also added to the impending feeling of transport doom, however, since taking part in their "rehearsal" at London Bridge the other Tuesday I am now convinced that whether we, the public hoards, increase in great numbers or not the organisers and movement Nazis will ensure that chaos, crowding and frustration ensue. Stay away, leave the country, buy a lot of tinned food now or risk starvation, etc...

[NickJ]

I am now convinced that whether we, the public hoards, increase in great numbers or not the organisers and movement Nazis will ensure that chaos, crowding and frustration ensue.

I agree - this is the biggest risk. I'm still convinced that it won't seem that much different from a normal summer. Every year we get millions of tourists, but this year the ones not interested in the Olympics will stay away for the duration. And every year a lot of Londoners go for their summer holidays, and this year a lot more will go away during the Games.

As you say, the biggest problem will be the jobsworths trying to insist we change our normal travel patterns and thereby causing unnecessary chaos.

[Billy S]

I work for a hotel company and research after Sydney, Athens and Beijing showed that the number of visitors was always grossly overestimated at each games. This seems to have happened this year, with lots of hotels in London reporting unsold rooms.
In each city, Olympics occupancy never exceeded the previous year, but had a disastrous effect on tourism in the weeks approaching the games as the perception was that the Olympic city was full, and sadly, that the city is a "target" for terrorists. Certainly, dire predictions of chaos at Heathrow etc. will re-enforce that view.

I think TfL are promising the worst, so that when it doesn't happen it will look like a win!

However, I witnessed an incident at Paddington yesterday where a man pushed an older woman out of the way as she was struggling with her ticket. And I think things like "standing on the right" and ticket machine issues will be where tempers fray.

[nikdevlin]

The ones who're really causing difficulty are the, well, what are they, wardens? The shouty ones in the hi-vis at London Bridge station who just make things more complicated by shouting unintelligible rubbish through their loudhailers so people stop to try to figure out what they're shouting, meaning the whole concourse gets all snarled up. Then when you do get out you find yourself being channeled away from your bus stop by seemingly random barriers, and, because you can't turn back against the flow, you hop over the barrier and get some little Hitler shouting at you. I completely ignored the guy, but he still came over to the 521 stop to tell me off for '...creating a safety hazard'. There were no vehicles coming, I put no one, not even myself, in any sort of danger, yet this buffoon decided the time was right to leave his post so he could have a pointless go at me. Pathetic really. My policy of completely ignoring the little squirt - and iPod and sunglasses helped hugely - worked, eventually, especially as people were openly laughing at him. <sarcasm> I am so looking forward to the next month or more of commuting.</sarcasm>

[lolliepoppster]

"The following parts of London are likely to be particularly busy over the next few weeks:

1) Where you work

2) Where you live"

Probably the best travel advice I've found for a while -
http://londonist.com...m-londonist.php

[nikdevlin]

*LIKES*

[Summit Lover]

"The following parts of London are likely to be particularly busy over the next few weeks:

1) Where you work

2) Where you live"

Probably the best travel advice I've found for a while -
http://londonist.com...m-londonist.php

Good grief....

[cheerfulmusicman]

That Londonist link is brilliant!

[charlie]

Very funny. Nice walk from Victoria to Goodge Street or vice versa from Tubewalker, the Tube on Foot.

[Canon]

They've started setting up the crowd control at London Bridge this morning, Can already see a bit of an issue with the sign that's says Platform 1-2 this way all Platforms 3-16 this way - not sure how this is meant to spread the crown out but will shall see.

[The Joker]

So who's attending Olympic events and have you considered your route(s) yet?

The journey planner on the Games website suggests taking the Overground to Shadwell and then DLR for events at Excel and the Overground to Whitechapel then the 25 bus to Stratford for the Olympic Stadium. Must admit I hadn't considered either of these, but surely makes sense to avoid Waterloo or London Bridge?

[Dazza]

Going to use London bridge as usual ! I think its a suck & see scenario !