APPENDIX 44
Memorandum submitted by Hyder Consulting
On 6 July 2005 the International Olympic Committee
announced that it had selected London to host the 2012 Olympic
and Paralympic Games.
Given the scale and complexity of the transport
task, and the need to integrate with the existing transport infrastructure
and management, it is appropriate that London has already started
to plan for the Games.
Transportation is one of the most critical systems
in the overall games program and the provision of adequate transportation
management strategies is an essential part of the provision of
a safe, efficient and effective transport system and London coping
with the enormous challenge of transporting visitors, competitors
and officials to and from the London Games, whilst also maintaining
services to Londoners.
In preparing this memorandum to the Transport
Committee, Hyder Consulting has:
— Incorporated our local knowledge
of London's existing and proposed transport infrastructure and
management;
— Leveraged off our expertise in traffic
and transport management, including our Intelligent Transport
System capabilities;
— Utilised the direct experience and
involvement of our transport staff in the planning and implementation
of transport changes for the Sydney Olympic Roads and Transport
Authority (for the highly successful Sydney 2000 Olympic and Paralympic
Games) and our current involvement in transport planning for the
2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne.
Our in-house staff have both the expertise and
experience to undertake significant public and private sector
commissions for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and
have drawn parallels with the Sydney Olympic Games, Commonwealth
Games and other major Australian sporting events. In this memorandum,
Hyder Consulting discuss the transportation management strategies
to follow using smart solutions in transportation based on relevant
experience with particular focus on the Sydney 2000 Olympics and
Sydney's success in managing both transport for the Games whilst
maintaining an efficient transport system for other trips. Much
of this would be transferable to London.
Hyder Consulting is preparing this memorandum
in response to the Olympic Delivery Authority request to prepare
an Olympic Transport Plan and to answer the following questions
as per the Transport Committee.
What level of funding will need to be directed
at transport improvements? Will the Government's Spending Agreement
with the Mayor provide adequate funding?
Past experience suggests that early budget estimates
are often overspent. Some of this risk can be offset through more
detailed early planning, but in many instances it is the demand
for improved access and services that influences the eventual
expenditure outcome. Private sector partnerships are considered
to be a potential major source of revenue. However, this needs
to be offset against the likely timeframe for delivery of major
infrastructure improvements that are often plagued with just in
time delivery and in some cases, negative publicity. Sydney severely
underestimated the transport requirements in its initial bid to
the International Olympic Committee. The transport component of
the Games has been estimated to cost Sydney over £130 million.
Proportionately similar cost overruns are being reported for the
Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games.
What role will the private sector play in delivering
this infrastructure?
Partnerships with private sector operators will
be essential and given the potential additional revenue, there
is a big incentive for the private sector to get involved. From
the Sydney Olympic and Paralympic Games experience, there will
be many opportunities created for the private sector to deliver
infrastructure improvements, operational improvements and supporting
services. These may range from the construction of new rail and
road infrastructure, temporary athlete accommodation, regional
sporting facilities, cycling facilities and pedestrian bridges,
new public transport initiatives to the provision of disabled
ramps at venues (both temporary and permanent), route development
strategies, car parking studies, pedestrian management studies,
community consultation re transport proposals etc. To ensure the
continued successful operation of existing infrastructure (eg
roads) that are earmarked for use during the Games, a series of
traffic operations plans and traffic implementation plans will
need to be developed for each event and for each location being
considered. The cost of supplying and installing temporary traffic
control devices should also be recognised as a significant service
delivery by the private sector during this time.
Will funding be diverted from other transport
projects?
It is very likely that funding will be diverted
from other transport projects given the scale of the transport
task. With this in mind, it is important to identify improvements
that are already on the transport agenda, and/or will have lasting
benefits for East London and for London as a whole. In Sydney,
the transport management infrastructure, plans and principles
adopted for the Games have continued to be used to manage daily
commuters, as well as crowds associated with major sporting events,
concerts, New Years Eve etc. Similarly, the planning for the Melbourne
2006 Commonwealth Games has been towards accelerating those infrastructure
projects likely to benefit the Games the most. Opportunities to
include legacy projects in the infrastructure expenditure during
this time have been at the forefront of social and political commentators
throughout.
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?
Improvements to transport and consequent improvements
in accessibility can help with urban regeneration, provision of
new investment etc. This is a significant opportunity to leave
behind a positive legacy for future economic development and to
overcome existing transport deficiencies.
Security and operational enhancements such as
new and upgraded CCTV and lighting, transport management measures
such as new VMS, plus improved access for mobility impaired people
are further examples of how the transport projects for the Games
can fit into an integrated and long term transport plan for London.
The transport infrastructure provided around
Sydney Olympic Park (the main Olympic venue for the Sydney Games)
and the associated sporting facilities was also planned with regard
to the future transport requirements of the surrounding area post
Olympics. The transport infrastructure has been instrumental in
helping to regenerate this former industrial area into a major
new residential, commercial, recreational and sporting area. As
an example, a new regional shopping centre has taken advantage
of the transport links and new residential communities. The East
London transport infrastructure required to facilitate the London
Olympics will clearly need to take account of existing and predicted
land use in East London, whilst also having regard for new opportunities.
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?
The events of 11 September and the subsequent
London bombings immediately following the London 2012 Olympic
announcement have heightened concerns about the security of athletes,
officials and spectators at major sports events. The effect of
the games on security, congestion, overcrowding, and air quality
will be positive if it is managed properly. Improvements to lighting
and CCTV are examples of measures that can help with security.
Permanent VMS specifically targeted at pedestrians could perhaps
be justified in terms of managing and directing pedestrians in
the event of a security threat in London, irrespective of the
Olympic Games.
Sydney used the message that the transport infrastructure,
including the road network, would be under stress, but with a
positive spin—don't just go to the events, enjoy the city,
soak up the atmosphere, get out and walk around. This encouraged
people to use alternative forms of transport to the private motorcar
and to plan their trips and leave in plenty of time. This was
very beneficial in terms of peak spreading of travel demand. Entertainment
was provided where crowds were likely to form as a way of keeping
the crowds occupied. These examples would be equally applicable
in London. A comprehensive transportation planning process must
be implemented and it must take into account the needs of the
multiple users of the transportation system, the unique characteristics
of the travel patterns, how services will be provided and, where
appropriate, the costs of these services. A key message here is
that technology can assist in managing the potential problems—particularly
the multilingual one.
What lessons for transport can be learned from
the experiences of other Olympic cities?
As a result of the success of the Sydney Olympic
and Paralympic Games and the role of key Hyder Consulting staff
involved in the Sydney Olympics, Roads and Transport Authority
the lessons learnt as outlined below have concentrated on Sydney's
experiences. Hyder has also drawn on the experiences from the
2006 Commonwealth Games where Hyder has a key ongoing role in
transport planning for the Games.
It is understood that whilst transportation
appeared to work quite well for the Athens 2004 Olympics, this
was primarily due to the low spectator numbers at the majority
of events. This is a very different position to Sydney where the
majority of events sold out. The large population of London and
proximity and ease of travel between London and other European
capitals would seem to indicate that the London Games will be
well patronised.
Lessons learned from the past Games, both successes
and failures are extremely valuable, and can be used as a guide
during the planning phase. The following are some key lessons
learned from other systems.
The Unknown Factors
The spectators' transportation needs can theoretically
be calculated on the basis of the number and scheduling of the
sporting and other events, the venue capacities and the locations
of the venues. However, there are other factors, which may affect
the actual demand. These unknowns could result in inadequate supply
or oversupply of transportation services.
Provision of Transportation Services and Information
The needs for participants' transportation services
may be planned for on the basis of the size and composition of
the various groups involved, the location of the competition and
non-competition venues and the schedule of activities, ranging
from arrivals prior to the Games to departures after the Closing
Ceremony.
Public Information
There are large volumes of out-of-town and foreign
visitors and participants of the Olympic Games who will generally
be unfamiliar with London's geography and transport system. Lack
of timely, accurate and easily understood information has a real
potential to cause confusion and complaints.
Plan Early
It is beneficial for consultants who have experience
in the planning and operations of past Olympics to be involved
in the transportation planning process and at an early stage as
this first hand experience is invaluable. It is also important
that appropriate personnel familiarise themselves with transport
issues experienced during previous Olympic games. Typically, the
first element of the planning phase is to develop two critical
reports, the first report documents the existing transportation
system and services, in terms of capacity, operations, and management.
The second report examines the past Olympic transportation services,
in terms of their successes and failures.
Built-in Flexibility and Redundancy
Due to numerous uncertainties and the potential
for unexpected events, built-in flexibility and redundancy is
a must. Staff absenteeism during past Olympic Games has the potential
to cause disruptions in transportation services.
Training of Volunteers and Rehearsal of Routes
If volunteers are used (could amount to approximately
80% of the total number of operations staff), appropriate training
of these volunteers is critical. The training would include a
clear understanding of transportation goals, the roles and responsibilities
of individuals, reporting procedures, training on dealing with
people with special needs as well as specific training for certain
groups, such as a rehearsal of bus routes by volunteer bus drivers.
Safety and security system
The security system inevitably has the potential
to cause delays in transportation services and bottlenecks at
key check points. It can also affect how the transportation systems
are designed.
Legacy—Investment and funding
Salt Lake City used Federal dollars to build
a Light Rail Transit system and to improve two freeways. Barcelona
built significant highway improvements, which reduced travel times
to remote venues for athletes and Olympic family members. Sydney
used State funding to develop new rail infrastructure including
a new station at the main Olympic venue. Athens replaced its aging
airport with a new airport built to international standards. These
investments have helped improve transportation services of the
host cities and stimulated their economic development.
Work Closely with IOC and Media Representatives
Transportation services provided during the
Olympic Games definitely affect the image of the host city and
country as perceived via television and the media as well as by
visitors.
Below are some key lessons learned from Sydney.
Organisational Issues
Sydney had three organisations responsible for
the Olympic Games—the Olympic Co-ordination Authority (OCA),
Sydney Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games (SOCOG) and
the Olympic Roads and Transport Authority (ORTA). Sydney learnt
from problems in Atlanta by creating this separate entity for
Olympic transport (ORTA). ORTA was responsible to the Minister
for the Olympics, not the Minister for Transport and had wide
ranging powers for traffic and transport management. For the duration
of the Games, ORTA was responsible for transport of spectators
and Sydney's continuing daily activity and athletes, officials,
media sponsors, workforce. This allowed ORTA to focus its activities
whilst at the same time protecting the Minister for Transport
from the difficult transport decisions directly associated with
the Games that were necessary to keep traffic moving, such as
a temporary ban on turning movements at intersections and a prohibition
on parking on Olympic and other important routes.
Media and Communications
ORTA had its own media personnel so did not
have to rely on OCA or SOCOG. This meant ORTA could focus on transport
media and communications issues. It was very important to get
the media on side in terms of what ORTA were trying to achieve.
Some of the issues had negative implications, for example, introduction
of a temporary ban on turning movements at intersections and a
prohibition on parking on Olympic routes. ORTA was able to address
these issues whilst not compromising the positive image promoted
by OCA/SOCOG. Prominent media coverage of transport in the lead
up to the Games warned people that transport was the biggest task.
This helped in encouraging carpooling; changed work hours and
working from home were encouraged as a way of changing Sydney's
travel patterns.
By raising the transport issues in the public
arena, the public was made aware of the transport challenges.
Transport maps and publicity material were distributed to homes
throughout Sydney and mailed out with event tickets in order to
make people aware of how to get to venues by public transport.
Free Public Transport
Free transport was provided for people with
Olympic event tickets anywhere on the Olympic transport system—trains,
special buses etc. This also included tickets for the opening
and closing ceremonies. Free travel was for 28 hours from midnight
to 4.00 am the following day—this allowed people to travel
for purposes not directly associated with the Olympic Games—sightseeing,
joining in the festivities in the CBD, going for a meal etc before
returning home or to hotel. The result was that people did not
have to queue for tickets at railway stations and it also helped
with peak spreading of travel demand.
Free transport was a very important component
as there were real doubts as to whether people would pay to use
public transport after paying a relatively high price for their
Olympic tickets. It is also seen as being equitable since it provides
the same access for all socio economic groups. Free transport
for ticket holders extended beyond the Sydney metropolitan area
to certain regional areas around Sydney. It should also be noted
that free transport was a perk extended to the Olympic volunteers.
An Olympic Transport Operations Centre
The Olympic Transport Operations Centre was
set up in Sydney's Transport Management Centre. A special operations
room was set up for co-coordinating Olympic transport. This was
very successful in getting transport agencies to plan and talk
with each other.
Travel Demand Management
Achieving peak spreading was very important
as a way of reducing the AM and PM peaks and Olympic event peak
movements. The means by which this was promoted ranged from stipulating
specific delivery times for delivery vehicles to encouraging employees
and employers to adopt flexible working hours. Spectators were
encouraged to arrive at Olympic venues at least two hours early
to get through security checks etc. This helped to ensure everyone
arrived at the venue on time and helped to stagger the peaks.
Strategies for businesses were developed and
seminars were held with major employers to discuss how employees
should get to and from work. Changes to commuting habits were
encouraged, particularly flexible work hours and leaving home
etc. in plenty of time. Deliveries of freight in Sydney's CBD
were restricted to 1.00 am to 10.00 am with 2 hour extension for
fresh produce. HGV's were restricted to night-time only.
Scheduling was very important to avoid crowds
converging on venues or transport infrastructure at the same time.
Utilisation of ticketing information was invaluable in determining
transport demand. The home postcode obtained from the purchaser
of the tickets was used as a way of determining where people are
traveling from and to determine demands on transport infrastructure
for particular events.
Road Transport
— Olympic transit lanes (lanes giving
priority travel to accredited vehicles and excluding private vehicles
were introduced in both Sydney and Athens, along with removal
of parking from Olympic routes. Sydney introduced restrictions
on certain vehicle types within the Olympic precincts, including
changed times for deliveries. Alternative parking was identified
and provided in side streets adjacent to shopping strips to appease
shopkeepers. Banned turns and other traffic management measures
were introduced to assist traffic flow.
— 26 free Park & Ride sites were
used to counter the fact that there was no spectator parking at
Olympic venues. This was heavily publicized so people did not
turn up expecting to park at the venues. Restricted parking areas
implemented around venues to provide for resident parking. The
only parking spaces available at the venues had to be pre-booked
and incurred a large parking fee.
— Special bus routes were set up for
Olympic venues. 13 routes converged on Sydney's main Olympic venue
at Sydney Olympic Park.
— Buses were the main form of transport
for athletes, team officials, media, sponsors and their guests.
Special bus services catered for these users. Media bus route
ran every 10 minutes to ensure media did not complain about transport.
— A special bus company was formed
as a partnership with the private bus industry to secure buses,
recruit and manage the bus drivers, negotiate with bus unions
etc.
— A free bus route was provided in
Sydney's CBD for the duration of the Olympics. It linked the live
sites and bus and rail infrastructure. It was hoped that this
would continue after the Olympics, however, this has not occurred.
— Problems with buses included problems
with accommodation and meal arrangements for drivers, associated
problems with bus drivers, bus unions
— Trains carried the bulk of Olympic
passengers and operated 24 hours per day. Train patronage was
far in excess of normal daily passenger volumes. Frequent train
services and turnaround at Olympic venues was the key.
— Crowd control methods were employed
to keep crowds moving at stations to avoid people standing still
for long periods of time. Access points rationalised to entry
only or exit only. Crowds at railway stations closely monitored
in CBD and stations closed if overcrowding occurred with crowds
either entertained outside or redirected to alternative stations.
Both permanent and portable VMS and pedestrian management officers
were used to warn approaching crowds if stations closed.
— Pedestrian officers were also used
at key locations to manage pedestrian movements, ensure road safety
was not compromised and help to keep traffic moving. These officers
helped to guide pedestrians to crossing points, stopped them overflowing
onto the road at street corners, and deterred pedestrians from
attempting to cross the road whilst traffic was moving with consequent
positive traffic efficiency and road safety implications. Important
that these officers were familiar with the city as they became
de facto tour guides. These officers were generally seconded from
State and local government traffic and transport staff. A network
of road closures was introduced in Sydney's CBD to accommodate
the large crowds. On-street parking was removed from CBD streets
to reduce the amount of traffic heading to the city and to improve
traffic flow and pedestrian movements.
— New and expanded ranks were provided
for taxis and hire cars. Taxi drivers were given training in how
to make visitors feel more welcomed. Designated Olympic vehicles
were used to transfer certain officials and VIP's to specific
venues.
Volunteers
Committed and enthusiastic volunteers were essential
to the success of both the Olympic and Paralympic games. ORTA
volunteers included drivers for VIP's and team officials, bus
network supervisors, customer service officers, admin, clerical
and support staff.
Signposting
It is important to use clearly recognisable
sign faces for directional signs—Sydney used a blue background
with a fluorescent orange header incorporating Sydney 2000 logo
for all directional signs for Olympic venues. Special route signs
were also installed to assist bus drivers.
Elsewhere, easily recognisable symbolic signs
were used and these helped with the task of directing people from
non-English speaking backgrounds as well as unfamiliar users of
the transport system.
Test events
Large components of the Sydney Olympic transport
system were put into operation in the years leading up to the
Games during big sporting events as a way of testing the system,
identifying deficiencies and getting the public used to the proposals.
Need to start planning early.
What might be in the Olympic Transport Plan?
Demand management, route choice/information,
real-time [flow] monitoring of people/vehicle movements, security
and safety, interchange/modal transfer quality. Service reliability
should be a baseline requirement. Typical issues to be addressed
include:
— Official Games Traffic Operation
— Spectator Access and Parking
— Parking and Access Control
— Traffic Diversion And Emergency Routes
— Non-Event Traffic, Access And Parking
— Detailed Operational Plans
— Traffic Signal Operation
Will the Olympic Delivery Authority have the necessary
powers, funding and expertise to plan and deliver the transport
infrastructure and services required?
The powers and level of funding for the Olympic
Delivery Authority need to be compared with other Olympic cities.
Appropriate expertise needs to be developed and can be leveraged
from both the public and private sector operators. This should
involve a true private-public partnership. ie private sector business
plan is aligned with public sector investment in order to meet
and exceed financial returns/service levels required by both sides.
Incentives should be incorporated into contracts based on service
delivery criteria.
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