January 24, 2002
HIGHWAY HOLDS KEY TO OLYMPIC BID
Transporting thousands of spectators to and from the 2010 winter Olympics along the winding two-lane Sea to Sky highway could be the biggest obstacle facing organizers of Vancouver’s bid for the games, according to students in an SFU geography class.
The 30 Geography 449 students spent last semester studying issues related to the Vancouver-Whistler bid. Their findings on transporation mirror those found in a provincial study recently released. Students examined everything from transportation and housing to the event’s potential environmental impact. The results have been submitted to the Whistler Bid Corporation for consideration as organizers finalize their bid. A decision on the awarding of the 2010 winter games is expected in mid-2003.
Students who examined transportation issues don’t think a costly new expanded highway is a viable solution. Student Alison Kopelman says a multi-modal transportation system could include buses, trains and even marine transport and would decrease the need for private vehicles.
Students suggest adding a third lane to the highway’s two-lane sections, which would be a reversible bus, and possibly HOV, lane. Some spectators could be transported via the existing heavy rail lines — with, possibly, the creation of Olympic trains as a legacy — and by making use of cruise ships for marine transport, bringing passengers from Vancouver to Squamish.
"We don’t feel that a costly new highway is feasible," says Kopelman, noting that some 43,000 people are expected to traverse the highway, known for its high accident rate, twice a day during the games. "It’s not the right direction for Whistler or the GVRD." Kopelman says students urge the bid corporation to aim for a multi-modal system that includes buses, trains and marine transport
Students also looked at transportation solutions in a variety of cities, including Bern, Switzerland, a major competitor in the Olympic bid, and Salt Lake City, site of the 2002 winter games.
Student Robert Miles says transportation in and around the city could be improved by expansion of rapid transit to Richmond and an enhanced trolley bus service. "A lot of our focus is on smaller scale solutions rather than megaprojects," says Miles. "In keeping with concerns for the environment and cost, we recommend providing more transportation options, from transit to carpooling to cycling, rather than focusing on just one option. The more options, the better."
Students looking at housing suggest the 3,000 athletes in Whistler and another 3,000 in Vancouver’s southeast False Creek region should be housed in accommodations built according to an environmental design rating system, and designed as model sustainable communities. Student Stephanie Morgan says the event would also provide an opportunity to incorporate sustainable approaches in showcasing the region and creating lasting legacies.
"The purpose of the course is to give students an opportunity to examine the issues related to sustainable community development in a dynamic way that integrates theory and practice," says geographer Mark Roseland, who is also director of SFU’s community economic development centre. Previous classes examined the proposed developments inn southeast False Creek and on Burnaby Mountain. Their recommendations have had a role in the planning process for those projects. Results from the latest study will be posted on the web by early spring.
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CONTACT: Mark Roseland, 604-291-5463/4161
Marianne Meadahl/Julie Ovenell-Carter, media/pr, 604-291-4323
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