Olympics: How the f*ck am I gonna get to and from work

TheStone

EKE_38BPM wrote:

The more I think about this, the more I doubt The Stone's sanity!
Obviously not a city dweller or just someone with no imagination.

Maybe I'm insane and haven't realised?

There's nearly 30 million journeys made in London everyday. This is considerably less in the summer (although I can't find the stats for that). The largest venue in the Olympics (not including Wembley or the Marathon/Cycling routes) is 80k.

Something's not adding up for me.

rolf_f

Kieran_Burns wrote:

DonDaddyD wrote:

bails87 wrote:

Cyclists can't ride in the olympic lanes, as far as I'm aware.

Why can't you ride your bike to work?

I can but that, as with the train, involves riding through Stratford.

Wear Team GB kit - you'll get cheered through and people will get out the way

Yep - folk will just think he is Victoria getting some extra practice in

rick_chasey

TheStone wrote:

EKE_38BPM wrote:

The more I think about this, the more I doubt The Stone's sanity!
Obviously not a city dweller or just someone with no imagination.

Maybe I'm insane and haven't realised?

There's nearly 30 million journeys made in London everyday. This is considerably less in the summer (although I can't find the stats for that). The largest venue in the Olympics (not including Wembley or the Marathon/Cycling routes) is 80k.

Something's not adding up for me.

That'll be the 30 million journeys a day stat.

Ben6899

TheStone wrote:

EKE_38BPM wrote:

The more I think about this, the more I doubt The Stone's sanity!
Obviously not a city dweller or just someone with no imagination.

Maybe I'm insane and haven't realised?

There's nearly 30 million journeys made in London everyday. This is considerably less in the summer (although I can't find the stats for that). The largest venue in the Olympics (not including Wembley or the Marathon/Cycling routes) is 80k.

Something's not adding up for me.

It's the tourist journeys which cause the hassle though. Middle-aged women with upside-down maps in Leicester Square or Spanish folk gathering en-masse wondering why Camden Tube station is closed on a Sunday afternoon. Those journeys will remain similar in number during summer and probably increase. Nevermind the attraction of the "Greatest White Elephant on Earth".

tailwindhome

LONDON wrote:

Whinge whinge whinge

EKE_38BPM

TailWindHome wrote:

LONDON wrote:

Whinge whinge whinge

The Provinces wrote:

I wish I lived in That London really

rick_chasey

Push scooter is still the best solution.

EKE_38BPM

Rick Chasey wrote:

Push scooter is still the best solution.

I think it probably is. Or maybe roller skates.

SimonAH

Bloke wandering round Hackney in Lycra with a huge long stick over his shoulder is stopped by an eager young lad.

"Are you a pole vaulter?"

"No, I am German"
"But how did you know my name?"

deptfordmarmoset

SimonAH wrote:

Bloke wandering round Hackney in Lycra with a huge long stick over his shoulder is stopped by an eager young lad.

"Are you a pole vaulter?"

"No, I am German"
"But how did you know my name?"

Good stuff! <imagine smiley here>

sketchley

@DDD I'd start by asking the train company if the cycle policy will be changed during the Olympics.

spen666

DonDaddyD wrote:

I must have seen you by now! Interestingly enough Spen, how will you be dealing with the extra traffic?

I will be commuting in @ same time as now If traffic is bad I will be in late + leave early so I get home at my normal time. My work won't make adjustments even though it is government department so they will have to suffer my being in less

EKE_38BPM

According to an article on the news this morning, traffic across London will be up by ~30% during the Olympics. Must be up way more than that around Stratford.

Don't worry though, The Stone says it will all be fine and everyone apart from him is exaggerating.

woodford2barbican

MTFU & quit whinging

rick_chasey

How much does traffic really affect cycling times?

5 minutes at the most, surely?

EKE_38BPM

Rick Chasey wrote:

How much does traffic really affect cycling times?

5 minutes at the most, surely?

Depends on the length of the commute, the roads and how stupid/considerate the other road users/ped are.

Clever Pun

Rick Chasey wrote:

How much does traffic really affect cycling times?

5 minutes at the most, surely?

if you have to filter a significant portion of it then it'll be a damn sigh longer

saying that, I'm in the MTFU camp

jonginge

Looks like the stretch between Lambeth rbt and Parliament Sq will have the Olympic Lanes. How will that work? Shut to normal traffic? If so, that's awesome*

*A mild bit of sarcasm applied

TheStone

EKE_38BPM wrote:

According to an article on the news this morning, traffic across London will be up by ~30% during the Olympics. Must be up way more than that around Stratford.

Don't worry though, The Stone says it will all be fine and everyone apart from him is exaggerating.

Look at the facts rather than the spin.

They're claiming that there will be 3 million extra car journeys per day.
Yet, they also say there's no parking at the park and only 15% of people will arrive by car. They even claim they've got a train that can get 240k people from London to Stratford an hour ..... the stadium only holds 80k!

They're claiming 20 million extra journeys per day.

Sure, they'll be extra traffic, most noticeable in Stratford, but these numbers are nonsense. Up there with claiming 2 billion people watched the royal wedding.

They're setting it up so they can say what a great job they've done.

EKE_38BPM

TheStone wrote:

Don't worry. It will all be fine and everyone apart from me is exaggerating.

rick_chasey

TheStone wrote:

EKE_38BPM wrote:

According to an article on the news this morning, traffic across London will be up by ~30% during the Olympics. Must be up way more than that around Stratford.

Don't worry though, The Stone says it will all be fine and everyone apart from him is exaggerating.

Look at the facts rather than the spin.

They're claiming that there will be 3 million extra car journeys per day.
Yet, they also say there's no parking at the park and only 15% of people will arrive by car. They even claim they've got a train that can get 240k people from London to Stratford an hour ..... the stadium only holds 80k!

They're claiming 20 million extra journeys per day.

Sure, they'll be extra traffic, most noticeable in Stratford, but these numbers are nonsense. Up there with claiming 2 billion people watched the royal wedding.

They're setting it up so they can say what a great job they've done.

Unsurprisingly, there is more than one event, more than one stadium. There are many events and many venues.

Plus you'll have the road closures for the Marathon/cycling/walking events.

You will also have all the VIPs who will have to get through the city as fast as possible.

Also, say you travel over to London for one days olympics viewing. What are you going to be doing the rest of the time in London?

Probably travelling around a bit.

TheStone

EKE_38BPM wrote:

TheStone wrote:

Don't worry. It will all be fine and everyone apart from me is exaggerating.

Don't make up quotes.

TheStone

Rick Chasey wrote:

Unsurprisingly, there is more than one event, more than one stadium. There are many events and many venues.

Plus you'll have the road closures for the Marathon/cycling/walking events.

You will also have all the VIPs who will have to get through the city as fast as possible.

Also, say you travel over to London for one days olympics viewing. What are you going to be doing the rest of the time in London?

Probably travelling around a bit.

I guess we'll see.
Plenty of events, but none have that much capacity.

They reckon 55k athletes/media/vips. I expected the number to be a lot, lot higher.

EKE_38BPM

TheStone wrote:

EKE_38BPM wrote:

TheStone wrote:

Don't worry. It will all be fine and everyone apart from me is exaggerating.

Don't make up quotes.

Don't write rubbish.

I was paraphrasing what you are saying. Its obvious that traffic will increase across London and massively around Stratford during the Olympics. Only a fool can't see that.

Am I calling you a fool? On this topic, yes.

TheStone

EKE_38BPM wrote:

Don't write rubbish.

I was paraphrasing what you are saying. Its obvious that traffic will increase across London and massively around Stratford during the Olympics. Only a fool can't see that.

Am I calling you a fool? On this topic, yes.

We'll find out soon enough. I'm slightly playing devils advocate, but I do believe the numbers they're quoting are beyond nonsense. The powers that be have a long history of making stuff up to meet their own agenda. The press love it.

EKE_38BPM

TheStone wrote:

EKE_38BPM wrote:

Don't write rubbish.

I was paraphrasing what you are saying. Its obvious that traffic will increase across London and massively around Stratford during the Olympics. Only a fool can't see that.

Am I calling you a fool? On this topic, yes.

We'll find out soon enough. I'm slightly playing devils advocate, but I do believe the numbers they're quoting are beyond nonsense. The powers that be have a long history of making stuff up to meet their own agenda. The press love it.

Such as traffic lights being rephased to increase traffic before the congestion charge then changed back to 'prove' how successful the congestion charge was. On that point I agree with you. But as I said, only a fool can't see that traffic will increase across London and massively around Stratford during the Olympics.

TheStone

EKE_38BPM wrote:

Such as traffic lights being rephased to increase traffic before the congestion charge then changed back to 'prove' how successful the congestion charge was. On that point I agree with you. But as I said, only a fool can't see that traffic will increase across London and massively around Stratford during the Olympics.

Yep, they also did all the road works before the congestion charge.
..... seems like every road in London is being dug up right now.

Slightly off topic, but wasn't crossrail suppose to be up and running for the Olympics?

Clever Pun

err no 2018 it's scheduled for

EKE_38BPM

@The Stone: Wrong again.

The Guardian - October 2006 wrote:

Trains carrying up to 1,500 people will speed along the 75-mile route 24 times an hour at peak times, stopping at points including Bond Street and Canary Wharf, and travelling through 26 miles of tunnels. Construction is due to start in 2010 and the first trains should start running in 2017.

roger_merriman

Clever Pun wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

How much does traffic really affect cycling times?

5 minutes at the most, surely?

if you have to filter a significant portion of it then it'll be a damn sigh longer

saying that, I'm in the MTFU camp

indeed one of the nice things about bikes is there are almost allways other option unlike the rest of traffic. be that quiet back routes etc,

and yes I'd agree a lot of filtering can impact times, but it's heck of lot better on bike, the other day I went though Hammersmith fastest moving object in the area, but that wasn't saying much!