Select Committee on Transport Written Evidence


APPENDIX 14

Memorandum submitted by Paul Stockwell Associates Ltd

  It is the author's view that a major issue with Olympic villages has not been preparing or creating them, a combination of national pride and a watching world audience more or less compels this to be done once the bid has been accepted and ways will be found. The main issue has always been what to do with these facilities afterward? Any development plan for the Olympics ideally needs to treat the Olympics as just one event and an early stage in the long term future of the site and its facilities. Everything should be done with a view to re-use of the facilities afterwards. An example would be the Olympic Village. This should be developed by an experienced housing firm like persimmons so the properties are suitable for sale after their initial use as Olympic accommodation. They might be sold under covenant to key workers, establishing cost effective housing for emergency service workers in London for example, the new transport links being used to get them to their workplaces.

  In this submission I have included a description of a technology developed by a company known as Last Mile Technology. My apologies to the committee for what may seem like commercial presentations or special pleading but the purpose of this is to describe a wireless technology for distributing transport information and messages to drivers and passengers in the UK transport network. This technology will be a mature network by 2012 and part of the transport landscape. It changes a lot of assumptions about transport planning and information distribution to users. Hence it is worth taking cognisance of in forecasts.

LAST MILE COMMUNICATIONS

  This revolves round two products and falls into two main markets. The concept revolves around providing a high speed IP switched connection to users that delivers local content or access to the internet.

  MagicBooktm an interface program that displays essential information such as traffic information, timetables of messages from the organisers and emergency services. It is capable of running on a range of devices from Mobile phones to PC's.

  WDirecttm Posts, these are wireless access points with large cache memories inside. They can automatically relay messages to MagicBook users and contain local contents such as maps, directions, advice on facilities etc. They will have their own wireless networking capability as well as being able to connect to users via WiFi and can be upgraded to use new wireless technologies. A particular development will be similar high speed services to road vehicles so people can be kept informed even while still driving to the event, car parking in park `n' rides can be dynamically allocated for example.

  This network will have been in operation in the UK for some years by 2012 and will enable the organisers and Emergency services to communicate with each other, and with the spectators. Electronic displays and signs equipped with wireless interfaces can easily connect to brief spectators who aren't carrying WiFi or mobile phone devices. It will also be a simple matter to add wireless CCTV cameras and send video and data wherever it is needed. The wireless nature of the system means it can be rapidly deployed and reconfigured as needed to cope with a large event or other changing situation.

  The company is forming a consortium with Qinetiq and other partners of similar size and status so will be able to carry this through. In any event such technology will be readily available by the time of the Olympics.

GOING FOR GOLD QUESTIONS

  In particular, the Transport Committee wishes to examine:

1.   What level of funding will need to be directed at transport improvements? Will the Government's Spending Agreement with the Mayor provide adequate funding? What role will the private sector play in delivering this infrastructure? Will funding be diverted from other transport projects?

  Inevitably a large investment will be needed for the transport infrastructure of the event. This will be in two parts, a permanent infrastructure that is likely to remain on site following the event such as railway track & stations, new roads. The second type is temporary infrastructure such as bus services that can be hired and move on to other jobs and park `n' ride car parks that could be redeveloped or used for other purposes. Car parks might be provided by developers who afterwards can build on land that might be redundant after the Olympics.

2.   How will the transport projects needed for the Games fit into an integrated and long term transport plan for London? Will the transport legacy be appropriate to the needs of east London in the next two to three decades?

  Much depends upon a long term development program for the site and what it is intended to do with the area after the Olympics. The transport plan needs to be considered in relation to the proposed uses for the site. This can also be expressed as "We have a very well connected site that is almost a transport hub in its own right. What should we put there in order to make best use of these transport resources?"

  It is imperative that transport links are adequate for the event and much of the required infrastructure will be expensive to build and difficult or impractical to relocate so it is really a question of how to use the site after the Olympics and having a plan to ensure effective use of the site rather than ending up with an empty stadium and a lot of trains not stopping.

3.   What effect will the Games have on security, congestion, overcrowding, air quality and emissions in London? What impact will there be on transport in the interim?

  There is bound to be dislocation as new transport systems are built and implemented, a plan for dealing with this needs to be implemented. In particular consideration being given to road and traffic routes to ensure commuters is informed and that diversions are available to minimise congestion. The use of modern communications such as the network described at the beginning can make organisation significantly easier and provide a means to keep the public informed and help manage them in an emergency.

4.   What lessons for transport can be learned from the experiences of other Olympic cities?

  The major innovation should be a longer term plan for the site and the transport systems. Moving three stadiums off the site afterwards is clever, but what will replace them and draw people to use the transport and live & work in the area? These issues should be addressed in the same sort of way that the site plan is addressed ensuring London does not end up with a well-connected While Elephant. As for the remaining sports venues good communications, scholarships, all in one travel tickets etc would ensure they are patronised. They could be used to train future athletes and to provide a UK centre of excellence for training and to stage other sporting events.

5.   What might be in the Olympic Transport Plan?

  The design and layout of rail and road terminals should be optimised to ensure large numbers of people can quickly move from station to venue. Bridges and underpasses should be used across roads rather than pedestrian crossings wherever possible.

  Road layouts should be designed to encourage traffic flow and with both WDirect posts and electronic signage for motorists, delivery and infrastructure traffic. If people can get lost they will and much can be gained by careful design of junctions and signage. Safety Cameras may contribute by keeping traffic moving at a speed low enough to allow signs to be read properly and lane changes to be made in good time.

  Signage should be electronic and as flexible and programmable as possible so that in the event of a problem, a rail line blocked or a bomb scare for instance these can be used to inform the people what is going on and what they should do. There should also be text, WAP and internet sites for this information. A control centre should co-ordinate this, able to work closely with all those involved in operating the event including emergency services as well as stadium management.

  When things are running well these can give live information on departures and arrivals and running scores from the events. It may also be possible to incorporate a video feed so people in transit can watch the events on TV.

  Security considerations, Anti-terrorist police and other experts should be consulted on the designs and provision made to use search equipment and deal with possible terrorist action—as far as is practical should be made. These should be discreet but efficient. They might include reinforced areas where controlled explosions could be carried out, or a suspected suicide bomber safely contained. Possibly people pass through a reinforced section of corridor with retractable blast doors and open to the sky so any blast can be directed upwards? Is this practical? Given the present situation with Al-Qaeda it is worth finding out.

6.   Will the Olympic Delivery Authority have the necessary powers, funding and expertise to plan and deliver the transport infrastructure and services required?

  They need to have powers to incorporate the long-term future of the site and the facilities they create into the plan. Funding could be approved providing the proposals generated include a long-term element, ranging from a study showing that a new rail station would have sufficient passenger traffic for the long term, roads are of adequate size & layout, to hiring buses for the park `n' ride because they can be redeployed on other work afterwards, or an Olympic village that can be sold as residential properties.

9 September 2005





 
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