Olympic Transportation

I found this from a Mobility Matters newsletter that The Midtown Transportation Solutions sends out. It was interesting to note the differences in 16 years. Read on...

Olympic Transportation Then and Now:

A Tale of Two Cities

The countdown is on for the 2012 Summer Olympic Games. With the London opening ceremonies drawing near, a final push for preparations is underway. One of the major undertakings has been a $15 billion investment of revamping the transportation system through London. By contrast, Atlanta spent $2 billion total on the 1996 Olympics.

Some of the major initiatives in London to ensure the greenest Olympic Games:

* Parking will only be available for officials and the disabled.
* Commuters receive free access to public transit throughout the day of an event.
* Two high speed trains: the Olympic Javelin can reach 140 mph and will run every 7 minutes, carrying 25,000 passengers per hour. The EuroStar helps long distance commuters from France into London.
* Car-sharing, carpooling, bike sharing and additional buses to relieve street traffic.
* A 39-mile ribbon of fast lanes and shortcuts in London has been engineered to transport the 80,000 athletes and members of the Games' inner circle.

In preparation for the 1996 Olympics, three MARTA stations opened, adjustments were made to trains to allow more standing room, Express parking lots were added outside the perimeter, and major downtown employers introduced clean commute methods that Midtown Transportation Solutions (MTS) encourages, like carpooling, flex-time and teleworking, which helped keep street traffic manageable.