Transport for the Games - keeping disruption to an absolute minimum

With thousands of spectators due to arrive every day at Eton Dorney during the Olympic and Paralympic Games, the council has been closely involved with the organisers to make sure the impact on local residents is kept to the absolute minimum.

Cllr Phill Bicknell, cabinet member for highways, transport and environment, said: 'The sheer volume of spectators travelling to the venue at Eton Dorney means that effective traffic management and parking plans are paramount. We made sure that local councillors and residents were consulted throughout so the needs of the local community could be incorporated into London 2012's planning.

'We have to be realistic. You can't bring in up to 25,000 people a day to the Olympic transport hub at Windsor Racecourse and not cause some disruption but I believe we have the best plans possible and I thank all our residents and councillors for their input.'

Eton Dorney's transport arrangements include spectator shuttle buses and river ferry services, as well as some temporary parking controls and traffic management measures, all designed to get spectators to the venue efficiently and keep the borough on the move.

Spectator transport

London 2012 wants all spectators to leave their cars at home and are sending free travelcards to ticketholders travelling from London to encourage them to use the train and then the free spectator shuttle buses which will run between Windsor & Eton Riverside, Maidenhead and Slough stations and the venue. This is a 15 minute journey (approx) to the transport hub at Windsor Racecourse and then a 15 - 20 minute walk to the venue entrance.

Royal Borough residents with Games tickets may use the shuttle buses from Maidenhead and Windsor & Eton Riverside stations - absolutely free (on production of their tickets).

Temporary park-and-ride sites will open on Saturday 28 July at Windsor Great Park, Stafferton Way and Braywick Park in Maidenhead, and at Upton Court Park in Slough. Again this is about a 15 minute shuttle bus journey to Windsor Racecourse with a 15 - 20 minute walk to the venue entrance.

Please note, the Braywick park and ride is not in use for the canoe spring events from Monday 6 August.

Spectators can book park and ride parking spaces in advance through Games organisers LOCOG at http://www.firstgroupgamestravel.com/park-and-ride/. (Please note, the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead is not responsible for spectator transport).

Spectators will also be encouraged to use the river ferry service from Windsor to the venue.

More information about spectator transport is available on the London 2012 Games website.

Traffic management

For the events at Eton Dorney to be successful, athletes, officials and spectators need to get to the venue on time. To help achieve this and also to keep local traffic moving, some temporary measures will be in place.

These include:

• From Saturday 28 July to Saturday 11 August there will be strict 'No Stopping' enforcement along the A308 from Braywick in Maidenhead to Royal Windsor Way (formerly the Windsor and Eton relief road). It will operate like a London Red Route so please don't stop/park or you will get a Penalty Charge Notice and your vehicle may be towed away (and you will have to pay to retrieve it). We don't want to see this happening to our residents so please don't stop.

• There are additional parking restrictions on roads off the A308 that you may need to be aware of - they are set out on the parking map (pdf below). Zone A areas are enforcement zones where parking on the highway is not permitted (residents in the affected roads must have a special permit). Zone B areas are 'advisory' - where drivers are being encouraged not to park if at all possible.

• From Saturday 28 July to Saturday 11 August there will be no vehicle access from the A308 to Gallys Road, Smiths Lane, Vale Road and Parsonage Lane from 7am to 5pm. Access will be maintained from Dedworth Road.

• Shuttle buses will run along the A308 to and from Maidenhead station and also to and from the park and ride sites at Braywick and Stafferton Way, Maidenhead (and at the other end from Windsor and Eton Riverside station). The buses will run from approx 6am to between 1 and 4pm, depending on when competitions end.

• From approx 6am to 4pm there will be no right turn from Braywick Road, Maidenhead, into Braywick Park. This is to assist the operation of the park and ride shuttle buses. Traffic turning right should continue to the Stafferton Way roundabout and return in the opposite direction.

• If at all possible, please time your journeys outside the Games peak times of 7 to 9am and 12.30 to 3.30pm (approx). This should make your travel a lot easier.
  

• If you are expecting deliveries or collections during Games time, you may find it useful to advise the companies concerned to travel outside the peak times and of the access arrangements (above).
  

Full details of the traffic management measures for the Olympic and Paralympic Games are at http://www.getaheadofthegames.com/

Olympic Route Network

The Olympic Route Network and Paralympic Route Network (ORN and PRN) will be in place during the Games period to ensure that key people such as athletes and officials can access the venue safely, securely and on time. Neither are in the Royal Borough but you may need to be aware of them.

The ORN/PRN route to Eton Dorney includes the A4 Bath Road, Marsh Lane, Court Lane and Lake End Road. These roads will remain open to all traffic, although some local traffic management measures will be implemented to help keep the route clear.

View Maps of the traffic management and parking plans.

Where to find information on travel during the Games

There are a number of useful websites:

• Local access and parking plans for venues
• Information for spectators travelling to the Games
• Travel information and alternative options for those in affected areas, with a specific focus on some of the busiest London hot spots. You can also follow the @GAOTG Twitter feed to receive the latest tips, travel information and advice on how to avoid travel congestion

Parking around the venue

Parking around the Games transport hub at Windsor Racecourse will be for local residents only.

Spectators will be discouraged from driving to the venue because there will be no parking in the surrounding area. Spectators will be informed of this before the Games to ensure they are fully aware and steer clear.

Temporary controlled parking zones ON EVENT DAYS will operate in the area around Windsor Racecourse and will be enforced.

The zones are shown on the map (below)). Anyone parking on a public road in zones A or B in the Royal Borough while the parking controls are in operation must display their Olympic residents' parking permit.

Zones marked B on the map (below) will be 'advisory' rather than enforced, and permits will not need to be displayed but drivers will be actively discouraged from parking there

Three-wheel parking enforcement

With considerably more parking enforcement areas than usual to cover during the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the Royal Borough is giving its parking officers the wheels to do the job - three-wheeled scooters!

Three Piaggio Yourbans have been hired from Windsor company Moto2Rent and parking officers trained to drive them safely so they can cover large areas as quickly and efficiently as possible. Their aim is to keep streets clear for local residents and businesses at a time when more than 25,000 people are expected every day for the Games at Eton Dorney.

How to get your residents' parking permit

Do you live in one of the protected parking areas being set up to prevent spectators and visitors from leaving their vehicles while they head for Dorney Lake?

Do you park your vehicle on the street or road?

If the answer is yes to both questions then you can get your special resident's parking permit by completing the online resident's parking permit application form.

Applications need to be made for any vehicle that will be parked on the public highway (7am to 1pm) between 28 July and 11 August. If you require vouchers for visitors, carers, doctors nurses or anyone whose car is not registered at your address please advise along with your application.

To make sure you get your permit in time for the start of competition all applications must be received by Saturday 21 July. After that date if you find you need a permit, eg for tradespeople or for medical or care reasons, contact the parking team at parking@rbwm.gov.uk or call 01628 683800.

You do NOT need to apply for a permit if you have off-street parking and do not park your vehicle on the highway.

Watch out for details about council drop-in sessions nearer Games time in both Dedworth and Eton Wick where you can apply in person for your parking permits.

Parking at Braywick Park

Braywick Park users can still park while the Olympic park and ride is under way there. The council has organised temporary parking on the old rugby training pitch at the back of SportsAble. Car park marshals have been briefed to give advice if necessary.

Big Society to benefit from Olympic parking fines

Parking during the Games will be enforced by the Royal Borough and officers will be on patrol to make sure drivers stick to the temporary No Parking regulations. Those who don't will find themselves with a penalty charge notice.

However, the council has decided that local community and charity projects will benefit from any parking income raised through the Big Society.

Cllr Simon Dudley (left), cabinet lead for the 2012 Games, explained: "Having worked closely with the Games organisers to get the best possible deal for our residents and businesses, we want to ensure that visitors steer clear of the residents' parking zones.

'Where vehicles are parked illegally penalty charge notices will be issued and the funds raised reinvested in our community through Big Society grants for transport related schemes.'

Walking and cycling to Eton Dorney - Games legacy for everyone

For those lucky enough to have tickets for the rowing and canoe sprint events, the most scenic (and healthiest) way of getting there is on foot or by bike.

The Royal Borough has been working with the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games (LOCOG), Sustrans and neighbouring local authorities to upgrade the walking and cycling routes to the lake to make them easier, safer and more comfortable to use.

Many of the routes coincide with the National Cycle Network - well used by Royal Borough residents for everyday travel and for leisure, so the improvements will deliver a legacy for the area.

The route from Maidenhead town centre runs along the newly-resurfaced Green Lane to Hibbert Road and into Bray where cyclists have been given an exemption to the No Entry restriction between Ferry Road and Old Mill Lane. The route between Old Mill Lane and Monkey Island Bridge has also been resurfaced, connecting to another resurfaced path on the north side of the river as far as the rowing lake entrance.

This route will also serve the temporary park and ride site at Stafferton Way for spectators who wish to 'park and cycle'.

The route from Eton includes a new crushed limestone path to the west of the Windsor and Eton relief road, while improvements from the north feature a new bridge across Chalvey Ditch and a new tarmac surface on the permitted cycle route alongside the railway viaduct to Eton Wick Road.

Walkers and cyclists travelling to the lake from the south will have their own entrance to the transport hub at Windsor Racecourse and there will also be a signed pedestrian route from Windsor and Eton Riverside Station. Temporary cycle parking will be provided at both the transport hub and northern spectator entrance.

Eton Wick residents can choose to go to the northern entrance or the Windsor Racecourse entrance. There will be temporary cycle parking at both sites.

However, residents should bear in mind that both the Thames Path and the National Cycle Route along the northern edge of the rowing lake will be closed during the Games and the diversion route will be via Boveney Lane, Village Road and Court Lane, which is quite a detour.

At the end of the event spectators will have the option of walking back to Windsor along the north side of the Thames following the 'Games Walk' art trail which is being developed by the Fire Station Arts Centre in Windsor.

A map of walking and cycling routes (pdf 3MB) to the Rowing Lake has been produced by LOCOG, which is available from Maidenhead Library and the Windsor Visitor Information Centre.

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