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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