[sustran] Re: Olympics 'green' report

[Mark Diesendorf]

Herewith a response from a Sydney-based sustainable transport 
researcher to Farheen's extract from the Greenpeace 'green' Olympics 
report.

Mark Diesendorf


>  > This is an extract (on Public Transport) from a really long environmental
>  > report.
>  > Farheen
>___________________
>
>  > SYDNEY, Australia, September 14, 2000 (ENS) - Public transport for
>  > virtually all spectators, solar energy generation and water conservation
>  > are some of the environmental successes achieved by  the organizers of
>  > Sydney's 2000 Olympic Games.
>  >
>  > 		PUBLIC TRANSPORT MADE EASY
>  >
>  >  One of the most significant successes of Sydney's Environmental
>  > Guidelines was the high degree of public transport used for the movement
>  > of people, Greenpeace says. All but four of the 25 Olympic sporting events
>  > occur within the Olympic Park or the Sydney Harbour Zone, reducing overall
>  > transport demand.

However, spectators who have attempted to drive to some of the minor 
sites, that are not within Olympic Park or the Sydney Harbour Zone, 
have produced massive local traffic congestion en route to these 
minor sites. This further strengthens the case for public transport.

>  >
>  > No provision has been made for spectators to drive their cars to the core
>  > site of Olympic Park at Homebush Bay. No public car parking is available
>  > at Olympic Park.
>  > Strong incentives to use public transport other sites were developed by
>  > building the cost of public transit into event ticketing.

  These were excellent initiatives.

>  > The Olympic rail loop can move 50,000 passengers per hour with trains
>  > leaving Olympic Park station every two minutes.

Unfortunately, there is no train station near the athlete's village, 
which is quite a long walk from Olympic Park. The village will become 
part of a new suburb after the Games, and most residents there will 
inevitably purchase cars.

>Both Sydney International
>  > and Domestic Airports have new rail stations and links to the city's rail
>  > network. Spectators can travel directly to and from venues on 3,800 buses
>  > and rail-bus shuttles.

The new airport railway is a plus, although expensive compared with 
other rail trips.

In recent years, successive State Governments of New South Wales have 
failed to fund properly Sydney's suburban railways. The present 
government even cut funding for rail maintenance. This year, before 
the Games, there were several minor accidents and incidents, many of 
which appeared to be the result of inadequate upgrading of track, 
signals and communication between drivers and control. During the 
Olympics, locals are just holding their breath, hoping that such 
incidents don't occur and strand several 100,000 people at a time.

>A network of bicycle routes feed into Olympic Park
>  > venues.
>  >

Bicycle routes exist on paper, but in practice Sydney has neglected 
to build safe cycle routes to access Olympic Park, except from a 
nearby railway station, and arterial cycle routes across Sydney in 
general. Cyclists who attempt to ride to Olympic Park from further 
afield will be taking their lives in their hands.

>  > Five hundred solar and electrical buggies will transport officials,
>  > athletes and staff around the Olympic site. Ferry services will move
>  > officials and athletes between major venues via Sydney Harbour.

The latter at the cost of reducing ferry services to Sydney residents 
and spectators during the Games.

>  >  But Greenpeace expressed "disappointment" that the local automotive
>  > industry did not use the Games as a showcase for new cleaner technologies
>  > in personal transportation, such as low emission fuel or hybrid fuel cars.
>  > "None of the 3000+ VIP car fleet provided by Olympic sponsor [GM] Holden
>  > will be fuelled by alternative fuels such as liquid petroleum gas as
>  > originally promised," the report said.
>  >

Hybrid cars are irrelevant to moving large crowds around Sydney 
during the games. This can be done better by public transport, 
walking and cycling.

>  > Full report can be assesed at
>Source: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/sep2000/2000L-09-14-02.html

Further comments:
- For the first time, on-street parking is banned in central Sydney 
and as a result there are fewer cars on the roads there.
- For the first time, there are bus lanes on the main roads between 
the city and major Olympic sites, and within inner Sydney, and they 
are being enforced. If only some of these bus lanes would be enforced 
after the games!
- Before the games, footpaths (sidewalks) were widened on several 
central Sydney streets. It is unlikely that these improvements will 
be reversed afterwards.