Roads that will only be accessible to official Olympics vehicles during the 2012 games have been revealed by the Olympic Delivery Authority.
More than 60 miles of key routes will be closed including the West Way, the Great Western Road and A4 near Earl’s Court.
The lanes are to be used by the 'Olympic family' so they can run freely across London to and from the games and not be held up in traffic.
The 'Olympic family' includes 24,000 Olympians with their teams and an additional 25,000 'marketing partners'. The move to allow sponsors on to the express routes has attracted much criticism.
Richard Tracey, spokesman for the London Assembly Conservative Group, said that because some sponsors would be staying in “plush hotels in the west end”, the major route along Park Lane would be partly closed.
The lanes form part of a wider Olympic Route Network (ORN), which will cover more than 100 miles of roads in central, east and west London, including Euston road outside St Pancras and Euston railway stations, Park Lane near Hyde Park Corner, and The Mall near Buckingham Palace.
They will typically be open from 6am to midnight, and a further 171 miles around the rest of the country will also be closed off.
Not all roads in the ORN will have games lanes, but they will be subject to side road closures, banned right turns, changes to traffic lights and pedestrian crossings and adjustments to bus and coach stops.
Motorists flouting the rules will face a £200 fine.
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Re: Olympic VIP routes announced
I suppose using fleets of water taxis on the Thames thus only needing to close a few roads from the river to the particular venue was considered? Nah, that's too simple.
Re: Olympic VIP routes announced
Do It, I understand it's quite easy to plan to be away for 2 weeks in 2 years time, but the thing is, we shouldn't have to. My job is such that holiday is a standby concept, and with most of my meetings taking place between Knightsbridge/Mayfair/The City and Canary Wharf, the Olympics will be taking a massive dump on my progress should a deal come up precluding me from leaving London. Millions of Londoners can't be expected to either have their lives disrupted or enjoy the two years notice to book a holiday all at once just because some men want to run about on TV.
Re: Olympic VIP routes announced
Nonetheless, how many of the general public actually wanted the Olympics to come to London?
When the announcement came we'd beaten Paris to it (by a brown envelope or several I expect) I like many I know groaned with disappointment. And why?
The hype that will ensue right up until the first event starts
The massive amount of over budget spending that will happen, despite us being in a recession.
A failure to entertain the thought that we mustn't overspend such as the new Wembley and just carry on in Seb Coe's very words the other day "I want to have the biggest best Olympics ever". Righty ho Seb.
A failure to decide before laying the foundations of what will happen to all of this site when the Olympics are over. Cue the Millennium Dome farce.
A logistical nightmare, plain and simple. We don't have the infrastructure to deal with this. My other half asked me if I wanted to go down and watch an event......no chance! I can just picture the chaos now, so not worth it.
So yes Do It, it may be just for a couple of weeks (that people have to put up with the traffic situation) but how about the other way round - all of this massive expense and waste just for two measly weeks that will fly by.
Worth it? No chance.