Department for Transport
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London 2012 athletes’ transport solution reaches next stage
The roads that will form the Olympic Route Network (ORN) have been designated by the Department for Transport today following a 14 week public consultation.
The ORN is a series of existing roads on which a range of traffic management measures will be applied where needed to ensure over 70,000 athletes, officials, media and sponsors can move safely, quickly and reliably between the competition venues, their accommodation and other key locations during the 2012 Games. The Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) will now engage and consult with businesses, residents and others in order to determine specifically how those roads will be affected by those measures.
The ORN measures will include permanent improvements that will help reduce congestion such as upgraded traffic signals, the creation of a new Traffic Control Centre for London, and new CCTV and junction upgrades. A range of temporary measures to be applied during the Games are also included.
Temporary dedicated Olympic Lanes, which are expected to affect less than 0.5% of London’s roads, will only be used on the busiest sections of the ORN within London. In addition, the Lanes will only operate where and when there is a clear need for them, and only if there is sufficient road space to accommodate them.
Similar arrangements were put in place at the Sydney, Athens and Beijing Games and it is now considered best practice to have an ORN during the Games.
The Department for Transport consulted on the proposed ORN between December 2008 and March 2009 resulting in the removal of 17 roads and the addition of 15.
Transport Minister Sadiq Khan said;
“The Olympic Route Network is something that every Host City needs to ensure that athletes get from A to B as safely and efficiently as possible. It’s a huge challenge and will be critical to the overall success of the Games.
“This temporary solution will be implemented in a way designed to keep London and other competition areas moving, as well as leaving a positive legacy for the city in terms of improved traffic management infrastructure.
“Having learnt some important lessons from previous Games and listened to constructive feedback, we are confident these plans will help to ensure transport runs smoothly in 2012 for athletes, those working at the Games and those working and living in London and other competition areas.”
Kulveer Ranger, the Mayor of London's Director of Transport Policy, said;
"To ensure a fantastic 2012 Games it is essential that everyone can get to the venues easily - organisers, athletes and spectators. At the same time the transport measures put in place must ensure that London keeps moving.
"The ODA is now starting the work of ensuring that this temporary network, as limited as is practicable, delivers the best results for everyone. Alongside it will sit the hugely improved public transport network, which we are well on-track to completing."
Hugh Sumner, ODA Director of Transport said;
“We have had some constructive responses back from the public and from local authorities leading up to and throughout the consultation process, and we’re looking forward to working more closely with those groups.”
Notes to editors
1. Under the powers provided in the 2006 London Olympic Games and Paralympic Games Act, the Secretary of State has designated a temporary ORN linking together competition venues and key non-competition venues. The ORN designation, and the powers that flow from it, expire 5 days after the closing ceremony of the 2012 Paralympic Games.
2. The formal designation of the ORN, which come into force on 22nd July, gives the ODA the legal authority to approve planned works on the ORN and to implement traffic regulation orders to manage traffic on the ORN during the Games.
3. The Department for Transport consulted on the proposed roads to be included in the ORN between December 2008 and March 2009 and received 253 responses to that consultation included many constructive suggestions both on the roads that should be included, and on the issues that need to be addressed by ODA and its delivery partners in taking forward engagement and consultation on the specific measures to be applied in the next phase. More than 75% of the proposed roads received no comment.
4. 36 suggestions for removal or addition of roads remain under review by the ODA either because they need further analysis, or because a decision is dependent on decisions by others on how individual venues will be operated, or on the location of training venues. If the ODA decide any of these roads should be part of the ORN an amendment to the designation Order is expected to be brought forward in summer 2010, and will be subject to full consultation and the consent of the Secretary of State.
5. Designation marks the end of the first of two distinct stages to the creation of the ORN;
- Stage 1: Identification and consultation on the roads to be included in the ORN, and their formal designation by the Secretary of State. Now that the ORN has been formally designated, the ODA will be able to review and approve any works planned for those roads, and can develop the measures needed to manage traffic during the Games.
- Stage 2: Consultation on and implementation of traffic management measures on the ORN. The ODA, working closely with its delivery partners and with TfL in particular, will develop, implement and operate the traffic management measures required during the Games. The ODA and its partners will engage and consult closely with local residents, businesses and road users to ensure that the proposed measures deliver the best solution possible for the Games, the local area, and the road network as a whole. The key stages through which ODA will be engaging in this way are:
- Summer 2009 - July 2010: design of the traffic management measures;
- July 2010 - 2011: formal consultation on Traffic Regulation Orders;
- January 2011 - July 2012: rolling programme of implementation, including any testing;
- 13 July -10 Sept 2012: operation
- From 2 August 2012: rolling programme of decommissioning
6. Those who will be using the Olympic Route Network are;
- Athletes;
- Technical officials;
- The media;
- The International Olympic Committee - including the World Anti-doping Agency, Medical Commission, and medal ceremonies officials; and
- Commercial Partners who provide £1bn of Games funding and services to ensure the Games run smoothly
7. The commitment to have an ORN was included in the Olympic Bid, and initial outline proposals for the network were included in the Olympic Delivery Authority’s Olympic Transport Plan published in October 2007. http://www.london2012.com/plans/transport/getting-ready/transport-plan.php
8. The ODA's development of the ORN measures forms part of its broader Olympic Transport Plan, the second edition of which will be consulted on later this year. Planned measures to reduce the level of 'normal' traffic during the Games by around 20%, as has been achieved at previous Games, through working with employers and schools, will be important in minimising the impact of the ORN measures on residents and businesses. The ODA will also be developing a compliance strategy for the ORN aimed at promoting a high level of compliance with the measures, through information and communications, rather than penalising people through penalty charge notices.
9. Details of the ORN, together with reports on the consultation responses and the Government's response (which also outlines ODA's future engagement strategy) have been published on the DfT website at: http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/regional/orndesignation
10. The ODA have established a dedicated e-mail address for ORN - related enquiries: Olympicroutenetwork@london2012.com
Press Enquires: 020 7944 3066
Out of Hours: 020 7944 4292
Public Enquiries: 020 7944 8300
Department for Transport Website: http://www.dft.gov.uk/
