Motorists are urged to avoid driving into central London for a whole two weeks before the Olympics even begin, TfL revealed yesterday.
In the event that this news comes as a surprise to anyone, TfL's website provides a comprehensive guide to road closures and restrictions for the duration of the Olympics, but the message continues to be that the London Games is a public transport Games. TfL says that around £6.5bn has been invested in the capital's transport infrastructure.
London transport during the Olympics has been the source of much doom-mongering, with long delays anticipated at many of TfL's travel hotspots. Last week's Central Line closure after a burst water main at Stratford, combined with recent Jubilee Line disruptions didn't do much to allay fears, although the Jubilee celebrations did provide an ideal opportunity to test queuing systems at London Bridge.
In other Olympic road closure news — don't try to access Westfield Stratford City via the A12 as the road is now closed until after the Games. Access is now though Warton Road and Penny Brookes Street only until 18 June when both those roads and the Westfield car parks will be closed.
Motorists driving into west London should also remember that the M4 bus lane, abolished in 2010, will be back in operation for the duration of the Games. Finally, if you're thinking of parking along the Olympic Route Network (ORN) — don't. It'll cost you £130.
Photo by Simon-K in the Londonist Flickr pool.
