Although TfL do not consider that West Hampstead will be much affected by the Olympic and Paralympic Games, we thought residents would like to know how the Games will be affecting travel through other parts of London.
During the 2012 Games, London will be turned into a massive sporting and cultural venue. This will, of course, have a major impact on the city’s roads, so Transport for London (TfL) will be putting in place the Olympic Route Network and Paralympic Route Network (ORN/PRN).
What is the ORN/PRN? The ORN is a 109-mile network of roads linking Games and accommodation venues. It is vital to ensure all athletes, officials and the world’s media get to their events on time and keep London moving. Thirty miles of the ORN include Games Lanes (available only to vehicles carrying the ‘Games Family’ – the athletes, officials, media and some sponsors). When will the ORN/PRN operate? The ORN and Games Lanes will begin operating on Wednesday 25 July, and will end on Tuesday 14 August. They will not be in force between the Olympic and Paralympic Games. The smaller PRN will also begin operating two days before the Paralympic Games on Monday 27 August and will end on Tuesday 11 September. Once events are completed at a particular venue, such as Wimbledon, the ORN will be removed. Creating the ORN/PRN A programme of temporary road changes need to take place ahead of the creation of the ORN/PRN. This will include installing temporary traffic islands and barriers to simplify junctions and changing around 1,300 sets of traffic signals to prepare for the expected increase in traffic. To keep any impact to a minimum, work is being carried out over a four-day period beginning on Friday 20 July and finishing on Tuesday 24 July. Most of the works will take place overnight but, depending on weather conditions and restrictions in certain areas, some daytime working may be required. Creating Games Lanes
From Sunday 1 July, road markings will be put down along the ORN to create the Games Lanes. This work is weather dependent so it is not possible to specify the exact dates but works will take place overnight between 21:00 and 06:00. The
Games Lanes will not be operational and enforced until Wednesday 25 July, so you will be able to use them until this date. During the Games, vehicles that drive in the Games Lanes, load, park or stop illegally on the ORN/PRN will be removed and will face a £130 Penalty Charge Notice. It will take between 10 and 14 days to create all the Games Lanes. There will be advanced warning signs along the route advising which dates the works will take place. Other key road changes From Saturday 7 July: Traffic direction through the Kingsway Tunnel (Aldwych) will be temporarily reversed to flow southbound only. This will be vital for assisting movement to and from the Media Hub in Bloomsbury. The road will return to normal in mid-August after the Olympic Games, and the change is not required for the Paralympic Games. From Monday 16 July: The M4 Games Lane will come into operation owing to the arrival of the Games Family which include athletes, officials and the world’s media. From Tuesday 24 July: The designated pedestrian crossings and parking/loading bays along the ORN will be suspended and blocked off overnight. TfL will remove each section of the ORN after it is no longer required. These works will take place over a number of nights.
It will be necessary to re-instate some of the network for the Paralympic Games and works will take place overnight from 24 August to 26 August. The PRN will be fully operational and enforced from 06:00 on 27 August.
There will be additional changes to roads and local parking around Olympic venues. These are being put in place by the organisers of London 2012 to ensure that resident and business parking is protected and the venues can operate safely. Full details of changes and timings can be found at london2012.com/local-residents.
Advice for road users During the implementation programme, roads will remain open but there may be rolling lane closures and local diversions, which will be clearly signposted. Local access to properties will be maintained but please do not park along the ORN/PRN as cars may be removed. If possible, do not travel on the route while the work is taking place. This will help you avoid delays.
The work will not affect pedestrian access, but may affect bus stops along the ORN and information will be provided on any affected stops. From mid-July, motorists should avoid central London, roads around the ORN and Games venues. Motorists should avoid the areas around the road events on competition days, such as the Cycling Road Races on 28 and 29 July. Every day of the Games is different, so if you must drive, plan ahead and allow more time. Go to getaheadofthegames.com to find out how you can avoid the road hotspots during the Games. Planning ahead To ensure that everyone begins to plan their Games time travel, please pass this information on to colleagues and regular contacts, and promote it through any available communication channels you may have. In addition, all properties on or within 400 metres of the ORN/PRN will receive letters this month outlining the works schedule and offering advice for residents and businesses to help them prepare ahead and during the operation of the ORN/PRN. If you wish to find out further information, go to getaheadofthegames.com Keeping London moving TfL is committed to keeping London moving throughout the Games. To help achieve this, the Games Lanes will operate as flexibly as possible, and be open to traffic when demand from Games Family vehicles is low and capacity is available. Signs along the route will advise motorists when Games Lanes are open to regular traffic throughout the day. I apologise in advance for any inconvenience that these essential works may cause. You can find details of the planned changes on the ORN/PRN, the latest on the build programme timetable and other Games-related travel information at GetAheadoftheGames.com. You can also follow @GAOTG on Twitter, sign up online for email bulletins or email ORNandPRNengagement@tfl.gov.uk
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