TRANSPORT

Kent 2012 meet with Olympic Delivery Authority to discuss London 2012 Transport Plan

Kent partners recently met with the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) to discuss some of the outstanding challenges for Kent that have not been answered in the current draft of the London 2012 Transport Plan.

The meeting was positive, and explored:

• that since 2004, 2012 has been written into every rail franchise agreement, and that by this summer a 2012 service level specification (first iteration) will have been drawn up for every franchise
• the work the ODA has been doing on modelling likely travel patterns in the summer of 2012, including modelling the impact of seasonality and changed working patterns for that summer
• the phases the ODA is using to plan its transport work
  • construction phase
  • test events phase
  • Olympic Games
  • switchover period
  • Paralympic Games
  • 'return to steady state'
• that much of Kent will be within a two hour drive of the Olympic Park and therefore will be included in the ODA's modelling of a direct coach and bus service
• that a temporary Park and Ride site (to service the Olympic Park) in North Kent is still being explored
• that the ODA has a 'sustainable transport' lead whose explorations include cycle, foot, and river access to the Games. Any Kent providers interested in providing a river service to the Games are welcome to approach the ODA, subject to a worked up business plan including consideration of car parking for customers, pier availability, and Thames speed restrictions!
• that only three identified 'Gateways' to the Olympic Park will be 'dressed', and that none of these are in Kent, whereas we would like to see Ebbsfleet, Dover and Ashford 'dressed'. It was explained that the three Gateways identified are those where security checks will be carried out, but that certainly neither the ODA not LOCOG have yet made any decisions on how to recognise wider key travel hubs for the Games. London 2012 are clear that they wish the '2012 experience' to be felt from leaving the house, through e.g. signage
• Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted and London City will all be accredited airports, meaning that they will be promoted as the arrival and departure airports for the Olympic and Paralympic families. We requested that ports be considered for accreditation
• that at the moment there is a commitment that your competitive event ticket will be integrated with your travel ticket IF you are travelling from within Lonson's zones 1 - 6. This commitment formed part of the Bid document. The ODA are currently exploring with the Association of Train Operating Companies how this might be expanded, but this does depend on industry identifying suitable technology
• After Beijing, the International Olympic Committee conducts a full review of how all aspects of the Beijing Games went, and from that and from London 2012's own engagement/shadowing/learning from the Beijing Games and their run up, then London 2012 will then prepare Phase 2 of the Transport Plan, to be ready in 2009.
• a follow up meeting to this one will be held in October 2008

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