How to get to and around Olympics in Vancouver
Looking to visit the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics?
First, here's what not to do: Roll into downtown Vancouver and hunt for parking near your venue. And don't even think of driving up to Whistler for the day, because they'll physically stop you at a checkpoint.
With between one-third and one-half a million additional people expected to visit British Columbia for the games, and more than 45 percent of visitors expected to come from outside the province, transportation is going to be an ordeal. Whatcom County residents will need to plan ahead and act soon to secure travel arrangements.
For example, the Amtrak Cascades train service from Bellingham to Vancouver's Pacific Central Station has been doubled, as part of a pilot project, but the two trains are already half booked during the games, said Vickie Sheehan, spokeswoman for the state Department of Transportation marine and rail office.
Following is some information on how to get to, and around, British Columbia for the Olympics (more information can be found at Travelsmart2010.ca):
Can I drive to events?
No. With major street closures and no public parking near venues, driving will be all but impossible. Crossing the border won't be the big problem. U.S. Customs and Border Protection expects the amount of border-crossing traffic to be about equivalent to a busy summer day. But once you're in B.C., you'll have a hard time driving and parking close to the venues; officials say you shouldn't drive downtown at all.
Vancouver is planning big closures, including at large security zones in the False Creek area around the Olympic Village, near the B.C. Place Stadium and near the cruise terminal, as examples. Parts of Robson, Granville and Mainland streets in downtown will be blocked off, allowing only pedestrians.
Signs will denote "Olympic Lanes" on major streets in Vancouver. Only Olympic officials and athletes, media and public transit can use them, and others will be ticketed or towed for driving or parking in them.
Can I drive over the border? If I do, where do I park and how do I get to my venue?
Driving over the border might be a good option, if you don't want to take the train. Bus options are limited. Once up there, if you have a ticket to an event, it gets you free rides on transit. If you do drive across the border, you might consider using the park-and-ride lots throughout the Lower Mainland. The closest one is in south Surrey, just over the Blaine border crossings; you can then catch a bus from the park-and-ride. Or you can park at lots along the SkyTrain light rail routes and ride transit into downtown or Richmond.
Go to Translink.ca/en/Driving/Park-and-Ride.aspx to see the locations of lots. Special lots have been set up to serve increased demand during the Olympics. To see a list of those, go to Translink.ca/en/Driving/Park-and-Ride/2010-Park-and-Ride.aspx.
Can I take the train from Bellingham?
Yes, but you should book your trip as soon as possible to get the seat you want and the best price, Sheehan said. Amtrak and the DOT added a second daily trip to Vancouver, but seats are already about half taken. The busiest day to travel Amtrak is Friday, Feb. 12 (the day of opening ceremonies), and the first two-thirds of the games is generally really busy. The last third has more seats available, she said.
One change has been made to the schedule during the Olympics, Sheehan said: The return train that normally leaves Vancouver at 5:45 p.m. will leave at 7:45 p.m. Organizers wanted to give people who don't have tickets but want to see Olympics sights time to enjoy it, she said.
Are there buses from Whatcom County?
No public ones. Whatcom Transportation Authority was planning a cross-border pilot project for public buses, but that project was cancelled. People will have to rely on private carriers for cross-border busing.
You can get a roundtrip ticket on Greyhound from Bellingham to Vancouver, B.C., during the games for as low as about $25, depending on when you book the ticket and what kind of ticket you get. Go to Greyhound.com for more information.
Quick Coach also offers bus trips between Seattle and Vancouver, with a stop at Bellingham International Airport. A roundtrip ticket will cost about $40. Go to Quickcoach.com for more information.
Most taxi services will take you to the border, where you can cross on foot and take a Canadian taxi. Some companies, like Classic Limousine in Blaine, will take you across the border to public transporation in B.C.
How do I get to events up in Whistler and Cypress Mountain?
It's going to be very hard to drive to Whistler. A checkpoint will be set up along the Sea to Ski Highway just north of Squamish, and B.C. Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure officials won't let anyone through without a permit. The checkpoint will be set up from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. during the games. You can get a permit only if you have a hotel booked up there with parking available for your entire stay.
The population of Whistler is expected to balloon from 10,000 people to about 55,000 residents and visitors each day, so it's going to be busy.
You can't drive to Cypress Mountain at all.
Buses are the way to go. If you have a ticket to an event in Whistler or Cypress Mountain, you can reserve a seat on the Olympic bus network - buses chartered by the organizing committee for the Olympics. If you're going to Cypress Mountain, your only option for buses are the network. Only ticket holders will be able to reserve seats on the Olympic bus network, and you still have to pay for them. The buses will leave from various departure hubs in the Vancouver area. You will need to reserve a seat to park at the departure hubs or get a bus seat. If you carpool, parking is free. To reserve a seat, go to Departurehubs.clickandpark.com.
If you don't have tickets to an event, you can still take an independent private bus up there. Three carriers listed on the B.C. Transit Web site show roundtrip tickets starting at around $40 (Greyhound.ca) up to more than $100.
For more private carrier contacts, go to Travelsmart2010.ca/arrivals-and-departures and click on the links at the right.
How do I get around in Whistler?
B.C. Transit will boost transit service fivefold in Whistler and the areas around it, expanding the fleet from 39 buses to 135. You can ride free if you have an event ticket. It won't get you from Vancouver into the mountains, but it is a good option while in the mountains.
B.C. Transit will provide bus service to Whistler Creekside, where there will be alpine skiing, and Whistler Slide Centre, where there will be the bobsleigh, luge and skeleton. It won't take you to Whistler Olympic Park (you'll have to take an express shuttle from Whistler Village to get there). For information on the B.C. Transit service, go to BCTransit.com/Olympics.
I don't have tickets to a venue, but I want to check out the Olympics experience. How do I get around?
Take Translink, the Lower Mainland transit agency. It plans to boost service during the Olympics, and it's relatively cheap. It operates buses and the SkyTrain light rail lines (it has added nearly 50 more train cars for the Olympics, and, at peak periods, trains will arrive at stations as often as every 108 seconds). A new SkyTrain rail line, called the Canada Line, recently opened from the Vancouver International Airport through Richmond and into downtown Vancouver. Lines also extend east through Burnaby and New Westminster to Surrey. SkyTrain day passes, which allow unlimited travel through three zones, cost $9.
Also during the games, officials will operate a free new streetcar from Granville Island east along False Creek to near Cambie Street and the Olympic Village. The streetcar could become permanent, depending on this demonstration project.
For more information on your public transit options in Vancouver, click here. If you want to use an online trip planner and look at schedules, go to click here.
Are there special bus or transportation passes I can get?
Translink is selling a special six-week Olympic Transit pass (valid from Feb. 8 through March 21) that gives you unlimited rides on all buses, SkyTrains and SeaBus passenger-only ferries. They can cost you up to $200, depending on how many zones you plan to travel through. You can buy them at stores throughout B.C. Just over the border, they're for sale along King George Highway in White Rock. For a list of locations where you can buy passes, click here.
B.C. Transit is also selling three types of special Olympics passes for use getting around on buses in the mountains. They start at about $40 and go up to $95, depending on where you want to travel up there. They're valid for all of February. Go to Bctransit.com for more information or to buy them.
How long will the backups be at the border? How do I check that?
U.S. border officials estimate that the traffic crossing the border will be equivalent to a busy summer day. They plan to have enough staff on hand to man all booths at all four border crossings in Whatcom County.
If you're driving northbound, the state Department of Transportation has information on border waits at here, as well as electronic freeway signs. The Web site will tell you how long the expected wait is at each crossing, and it'll provide a video image of cars in line.
Customs and Border Protection also has information available at this Web site.
For southbound traffic, the B.C. Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure has information available here, and the Canada Border Services Agency has wait times available at this Web site. A reader board along Highway 99 (that's what Interstate 5 becomes once you cross into Canada) also tells you wait times at the crossings.
FLASHING GREEN LIGHTS
In the Vancouver, B.C., metro area, drivers will find a blinking green light at some intersections. Treat it like any other green light. It means that the cross-street drivers have a stop sign, not a signal.
Only pedestrians and bicyclists on the cross street can push a button and turn the main street's light red so they can cross. Drivers on cross streets have to wait for a gap in traffic to cross. The blinking green lets you know that if somebody cuts across the street in front of you when you have a green, they didn't just run a red light.
Probably the first place you'll run into these northbound is after Highway 99 (what Interstate 5 becomes on the Canadian side) turns into Oak Street.
DRIVING TIPS:
Mph to kph: Remember that Canada uses kilometers per hour for speed limits, so you'll need to pay a little more attention to ensure you're driving the speed limit. A limit of 60 kph is about 37 mph, and a limit of 100 kph is about 62 mph. The B.C. speed limit is 50 kph, unless it's otherwise marked. Your car spedometer probably lists kph in smaller type on your dash.
Wear seatbelts: Like in the U.S., Canada requires drivers and passengers to use seatbelts.
Don't drink and drive: Like in the U.S., it's a criminal offense to be behind the wheel and have a blood alcohol content of 0.08 percent or more. Also like in the U.S., you can be arrested for driving under the influence if an officer deems you impaired, even if you're under the 0.08 limit. Drivers are subject to random breath tests. The drinking age in B.C. is 19.
Driving documents: A U.S. driver license is legal in Canada. You must carry proof of insurance.
Other laws: The queen of England may still be their queen, but Canadians drive on the right side of the road like Americans. Drivers must yield to pedestrians in crosswalks. Keep to the center or right lanes unless passing.
Source: The Bellingham Herald
