The London 2012 Festival, a 12-week celebration for international travellers visiting London for the 2012 Olympics Games, which start later this month, has urged Olympic fans to consider cycling or walking to the Games venues.
The Active Travel programme has invested around £10m in the development of approximately 75km of walking and cycling routes to London 2012 venues, both inside and outside London. Parking spaces for cycles, which are offered free of charge, will be available at the Olympics Games venues, and guided walks are being organised to assist spectators in getting to the Games.
The organisers of the Olympic and Paralympic Games are also arranging a Get Walking for the Games project, encouraging spectators to walk to venues, in order to avoid traffic congestion.
Two special walks during the London 2012 Open Weekend will be launched at the end of July 2012. One walk commences from Windsor to the rowing venue, Dorney Lake, and back along the Thames. The other walk includes the main Olympic Park in Stratford, East London, and local waterways, offering views of several of the landmark venues.
Hugh Sumner, the director of transport at the Olympic Delivery Authority, said in a statement, ‘Cycling is a fun and healthy way to get around at Games time.
The ODA and its partners have made a significant investment to ensure London 2012 is a sustainable transport Games.
All London 2012 venues are accessible by bike and free, secure, managed cycle parking will also be available at each location. During Games-time there will be more than 16,000 temporary cycle parking spaces for spectators at Games venues, with around 7,000 spaces serving the Olympic Park alone.’
