The Vancouver Olympic Organizing Committee is hoping to see a third less traffic on the Sea to Sky Highway, according to phase two of the 2010 transportation plan.
Flexible work hours, transit, walking and even cross country skiing are being encouraged as alternatives to travelling during peak venue loading hours, said Terry Wright, VANOC's executive VP of Games operations at a media briefing Tuesday (Oct. 13).
"It's really critical that we get the help of people from Squamish north," he said.
Locals hoping to drive north of Alice Lake during will need a permit for highway use between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. from Feb. 11 to 28, 2010.
Details of the permit requirement were part of this week's rollout of the Phase 2 transportation plan for the upcoming Olympics and Paralympics.
VANOC officials urged would-be commuters and others to try to stay off all roads north of Squamish from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. during the Games. The permits are free to obtain for those with proof of local address or hotel confirmations, and they're fully transferable between vehicles.
A checkpoint will be set up on Highway 99 at the Alice Lake turnoff to ensure northbound vehicles have permits during peak times.
Taxis, limos, buses, emergency and highway maintenance vehicles don't need a permit, nor do southbound travellers or those travelling outside peak hours.
Phase 2 of the transportation plan included more specific details on B.C. Transit and Olympic bus services and prices, parking availability in Whistler, commercial delivery times, road closures and more.
One of the new B.C. Transit routes will be the Games Express along Highway 99 with service every seven minutes, said Manuel Achadinha, president of B.C. Transit.
There are still no plans for service direct to Whistler for Squamish residents, though increased service is planned for the Squamish-Whistler commuters. Special shuttles will be offered within Squamish to a yet-to-be-determined transportation hub there, Achadinha said.
Games volunteers who live in Squamish will be offered transportation on a dedicated workforce shuttle, said Maureen Douglas, VANOC director of communications.
Prices for special souvenir transit passes for February 2010 were also released this week. The Whistler pass is $38.50, Squamish is $95 including service in Whistler and the 98 connector, and Pemberton is $50 including service in Whistler and the 99 connector. Cash fares are the only other option than the special passes, which are offered at a "huge discount," Achadinha said.
Olympic Bus Network tickets go on sale Nov. 24 and a round trip from Vancouver to a Whistler venue costs $25 until doubling in price on Jan. 4.
If a spectator opts to go into the Village after an event, they will forfeit their return bus ticket and must make arrangements with a private carrier to get back to Vancouver, Wright said.
"[We] don't expect it to be the rule, more the exception," he said of spectators coming to the Village.
But a number of Whistler businesses and community groups have joined together to provide the Ridebooker.com Whistler Shuttle to help encourage ticket holders to explore Whistler after an event. Plans for the shuttle, which is set to travel from the Vancouver area to Whistler six times daily from Feb. 1 to March 2, were also announced Tuesday.
"This is the cost-effective and flexible way for Olympic visitors and regional guests to experience the medals ceremonies, cultural events and incredible Olympic atmosphere that will be Whistler during the Games, Dave Clark, TW's senior manager of visitor services, said in a statement.
B.C. Transit service will get Whistler residents travelling to the Sliding Centre and Creekside Games venues, plus non-competition venues such as the Medals Plaza. A shuttle provided by VANOC from the "Transportation Mall" in the Day Skier Parking Lots will get local spectators to the Callaghan.
Two new websites are due to launch in the coming days to help people get more information about Games transportation and life in Whistler during the Games: travelsmart2010.com and whistler2010.com.
