Olympic Park 2012

How long does it take to get to Stratford from St Pancras in central London? Right now the answer is 26 minutes (or 38 minutes on the weekend due to ‘planned engineering works’ see TLF for details), but in 2012 the Olympic Shuttle will take only 7 minutes. In fact in the trial of the new ‘Javelin’ service this week, the time achieved was only 6 minutes and 45 seconds.

New Train for Olympic 2012 passengers from Kings Cross St Pancras - Stratford

This will be an important piece in the East London transport network, when is comes to games time. The ODA is aspiring to encourage use of public transport – in fact it would be impossible for all spectators to come by car – witness the gridlock at the Blackwall tunnel at rush hour. Capacity at Stratford station will be trebled, new Dockland Light Rail (DLR) tunnels are being added, there will be a new ticket hall at Kings Cross, a new DLR platform at Stratford, a direct link from City Airport to Stratford, to name but a few improvements. Overall this part of East London will be far better connected in three years.

Olympic 2012 Stadium in 2009 - constuction workers form 3 for 3 years to go!

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Further to the ride and stride initiative (see previous post) there are other olympic transport developments recently announced :

1. a sorely needed tube expansion in East London, running north-south
“By June 2010, the line will run from Dalston Junction in the north to New Cross, Crystal Palace and West Croydon in the south. By February 2011 we will have extended it to Highbury & Islington. We are also planning to extend the line west from Surrey Quays to Clapham Junction. ” TFL
for a full East London Line map click here

2. It does not look like much yet, but it will be a four lane bridge into Stratford centre…

“The bridge’s steel arch is made up of three sections, each weighing around 65 tonnes, and the final section of the arch was lifted into place last week using an 800-tonne crane … the bridge is due for overall completion in May.” ODA

3. A 50-metre long tunnel
Sorry no pictures of that yet!

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The latest initiative announced by London Mayor Boris Johnson is a 11.5 Million pound investment in the local cycle routes and walk ways. The intention is to encourage spectators to be active, and also to improve the existing cycling infrastructure in London. I like it but not for either of these reasons.

ODA Chair John Armitt said: ‘London 2012’s aim is for 100 per cent of spectators to get to the Games using public transport, walking or cycling’. An impressive ambition to be sure, but the investment seems targeted at the walking/cycling more than the public transport side. According to Builder & Engineer Online:

“The ODA’s investment will see two new walking and cycling paths created and six more significantly improved. The new cycling paths will stretch from Finsbury Park to Victoria Park, where 5,000 new bike spaces will be provided for Games-time use, and from Epping Forest and the Wanstead Flats to Stratford.”

As a cyclist part of me is very pleased, but as everyone who has used the tube or busses in London will know, the public transport system is pretty creaky, what with having been built so long ago. There already exists a network of cyclepaths, canal towpaths and greenways that is used for commuting and it could do with a little work but nothing compared to the London underground.

Cycle route map from ODA

Perhaps the real benefit of this might be that is helps develop a ‘London Olympic brand’. Since the handover ceremony at Beijing, which most people feel was a poor representation of what UK could offer the world in 2012, Brits have not really developed an idea of how to package the games and make it uniquely ‘British’ or special. We are pretty good at being understated, but it would be a shame if this translated into a complete lack of inspiration. If ‘active spectatorship’ is one of the definining characteristics of the games, I’d be pleased. It that a ‘British’ thing? Probably, but even if it isn’t yet, it could still be.

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