Transportation Planning
Vancouver is the largest city to host an Olympic Winter Games. The water, bridges and mountains that make our city famous, also provide logistical challenges to host an event of this magnitude. Olympic venues are very close to each other compared with other Games, and operations are very condensed. The Main Media Centre at Canada Place, for example, will be used by up to 10,000 people every day during the Games. There will be an increased demand on our transportation system.
The City of Vancouver and other transportation partners have released the first phase of the 2010 Winter Games integrated transportation plan. The plan outlines how businesses, residents and visitors will move around the Metro Vancouver and Sea to Sky regions during the Olympics. Changes to the road network have been addressed, including temporary road closures and parking restrictions identified.
See the City of Vancouver for more information.
Port Metro Vancouver has consulted with the marine, rail and trucking industries, its commercial tenants, local governmental agencies, and agrees that normal business operations will continue throughout the 2010 Winter Games.
Based upon current economic conditions, the Port does not predict significant change from current traffic volumes.
Goods movement and deliveries will continue during the 2010 Winter Games. There will be rush hour conditions and congestion throughout the day and vehicular traffic will be moving slower than normal. Truck drivers should take into consideration that travelling through Downtown Vancouver to Port terminals may take longer than normal.
Port Metro Vancouver has met with its tenants and developed traffic management measures to minimize the impact any temporary road closures and restrictions will have on goods and large vehicle movement during the Winter Games.
Road Modifications
Road modifications will begin in mid-January, 2010 for the Olympics. These will be phased in, depending on the requirements and schedules for each venue. Modifications will be scaled down for the Paralympic Games, and ultimately phased out by the end of March, 2010. Changes to the road network have been addressed, including temporary road closures and parking restrictions identified.
In some areas, particularly Downtown and its approaching bridges, including Hastings Street and Seymour Street to Boundary Road, designated Olympic Lanes for Olympic-accredited vehicles and TransLink buses will be in place in one lane of traffic for 24 hours, 7 days a week. The Vancouver Police Department will enforce the types of vehicles that are permitted in Olympic Lanes and regular traffic violation fines will apply.
Visit the City of Vancouver to learn more.
NOTE: Olympic Lanes will be open. While daily traffic will have access to the street, only VANOC accredited vehicles, emergency vehicles and TransLink buses will be able to travel in Olympic Lanes. However, other vehicles will be able to enter Olympic Lanes to turn and for access to and from properties.
What to expect
During the 2010 Winter Games, demand on Vancouver’s streets is expected to increase significantly. It will take longer than normal to move around the city. There will be rush hour conditions in Downtown Vancouver for longer than normal periods. There will also be some road and parking restrictions to maximize traffic flow. All of these efforts are to ensure a successful Olympic event, while minimizing the impact on local businesses and residents as much as possible.
The Port community is encouraged to plan ahead, allow some extra travel time, and use alternative travel modes, such as walking, use of transit, and carpooling, instead of driving alone. This will not only ease traffic pressures during the 2010 Winter Games and provide more room for commercial traffic, but will be faster and easier for everyone to get to work.
Key Dates
Street use limitations may occur between January 1 and March 21, 2010, especially in the Downtown Vancouver area, as well as around Games venues and key arterial streets within the city.
- Mid-January – March 1: Venue road closures begin
- January 21 – March 21: Vancouver’s “Olympic Line” streetcar opens
- February 1 – March 21: Temporary truck routes effective
- February 4 – March 1: Olympic Lanes open
- February 4 – March 1: Parking and stopping restrictions
- February 8 – February 28: Third SeaBus in service
- February 10: Opening Ceremony rehearsal and transportation test
- February 12: Olympic Winter Games Opening Ceremony
- February 12 – February 28: Pedestrian corridors open
- February 12 – February 28: Increased West Coast Express service begins
- February 28: Olympic Winter Games Closing Ceremony
- March 12: Paralympic Winter Games Opening Ceremony
South Shore Corridor
The South Shore Corridor is a network of roads that supports Port Metro Vancouver’s South Shore multi-modal system. It directly supports the movement of bulk goods, break bulk, containers and cruise passengers, and provides access to terminal facilities for a range of Port users.
Roads in the South Shore Corridor network include Centennial Road, Stewart Street and Commissioner Street. It also includes other port roads and adjacent land uses extending from Centerm container terminal and the Second Narrows Bridge.
Under normal operational conditions, traffic congestion is not expected on the South Shore Corridor during the 2010 Winter Games for:
- Integrated Security Unit (ISU) activities
- container terminal operations
- other commercial tenant operations
In the event of incident or emergencies that may cause traffic congestion in this area, the Port has developed procedures for rerouting traffic.
Download Port Metro Vancouver's Olympic Transportation Plan - South Shore Corridor (map).
Rail Operations Plan
During the 2010 Winter Games CP Rail will be maintaining their existing level of service to Port Metro Vancouver’s South Shore tenants, including grain terminals, container facilities, and businesses such as West Coast Reduction. CN’s South Shore service will be restored as of February 1, 2010, for the duration of the Winter Games.
West Coast Express
West Coast Express passenger service operated by CP Rail will increase during the 2010 Winter Games. Additional service will run from February 12 to February 28, 2010 – during the 17 days of the Olympic Winter Games.
CP Rail has not planned any new equipment for the additional service, so on Games time weekdays there will be deadhead moves in both directions to position equipment. According to CP Rail, there will be sufficient schedule time to allow 3 sets of equipment (required for new schedules) to be deadheaded together to meet opposite schedule requirements.
The additional West Coast Express service will not be given the same priority as the regular passenger trains and freight trains. The minimum travel time for additional trains is expected to be the current 73 minute schedule, regardless of station stop configuration. Actual performance of additional trains may vary at least 15 minutes from the schedule due to conflicts with freight rail operations.
Based on the information received from CP Rail, CP Rail has performed the necessary analysis to determine that over the limited time of this operation, freight will not be negatively impacted to the point of concern.
Normal Operations
Hours of Business
Container facilities on Port Metro Vancouver’s South Shore Corridor, including Vanterm, Centerm and Marco, have confirmed that normal dayshift operations (7:00 am to 4:00 pm) will continue during the 2010 Winter Games.
Staging
- Ballantyne truck staging area will not be available from January 4 to March 4, 2010.
- Port Metro Vancouver will provide limited staging along the South Shore Corridor during the 2010 Winter Games.
- Port Metro Vancouver has established limited, additional truck staging at Terminal Dock for overflow of container trucks on the South Shore.
Terminal Reservations
The container terminal reservation window is currently two hours, and changes to this window will not occur during the Winter Games. This means that a truck that has a reservation for 10:00 am can arrive at the facility between 9:30 am and 11:30 am.
Container truck reservations will be checked at entrance gates (i.e. Clark Drive and Commissioner Street overpasses) to make sure that each truck has arrived within its reservation window.
Truck Licensing System
Standard operating procedures will be in place during the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games and Port Metro Vancouver’s Truck Licensing Agreement will continue operation as normal during this period. Drivers are reminded that failure to comply will be considered a breach of the License Agreement and will result in suspension or cancellation from the Truck Licensing System.
Visit Port Metro Vancouver's Truck Licensing System for more information.
Traffic Demand Management
Port Metro Vancouver is currently working with tenants along the South Shore Corridor to shift peak-hour traffic volumes to non-peak hours of the day.
Traffic Monitoring
During the 2010 Winter Games, Port Metro Vancouver will monitor traffic operations, specifically on the South Shore Corridor through video surveillance. Quantitative information for both container trucks and other vehicle types will also be collected at the Port’s VACS gates to be used for daily traffic management during the Games, and also future transportation planning.
Emergency Response
In the event of an incident or emergency that affects the South Shore Corridor, Port Metro Vancouver will provide information and rerouting instruction to tenants and roadway users such as the ILWU and trucking community.
To contact Port Metro Vancouver Operations & Security any time, including during Games time, please call 604.665.9086, 24 hours a day / 7 days a week.