Help ease Olympics congestion by avoiding these roads (From Echo)
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Help ease Olympics congestion by avoiding these roads
3:00pm Wednesday 1st February 2012 in Castle Point By Faye Hackwell
housands are expected at the mountain biking event
PEOPLE are being encouraged to steer clear of certain roads and trains to avoid congestion when Hadleigh hosts the Olympic mountain biking.
London 2012 organisers are telling motorists to stay away from several roads in Benfleet, Hadleigh and Leigh when bike races are held at Hadleigh Farm on August 11 and 12.
People are being warned not to travel on the B1014 through Benfleet, A129 Rayleigh Road, New Road, Scrub Lane, Thames Drive and Belton Road West.
They are also being warned to steer clear of the A13 through Hadleigh – the route athletes and Olympic officials will use to access the biking venue from the Olympic Village in Stratford – and avoid Leigh railway station at the same times as spectators.
Travelling in these areas is not advised from 10.30am until 12.15pm and between 2.30pm and 5.30pm on both event days, when about 20,000 spectators will be arriving and leaving Hadleigh Farm en masse.
Games organisers issued the advice on their new Get Ahead of the Games website – launched as part of a campaign to raise awareness of transport issues.
A London 2012 spokesman said: “The campaign explains how, at certain times and in certain locations, London and the UK’s road and rail networks will be much busier than usual. It urges those in affected areas to reduce, reroute, retime or remode their journeys to avoid the hotspots at the busiest times.
“Parking and road restrictions will be introduced when events are taking place and shuttle buses will run from Leigh railway station and park-and-ride sites to the venue, which may affect traffic.”
Concerns have been raised London 2012 may spark chaos on roads, trains and Tubes near sporting venues, with traffic analyst Inrix predicting the Games could cause the “perfect traffic storm”.
Park-and-ride sites are being created at Barleylands Farm in Billericay, Case New Holland tractor plant in Basildon, Waterside Farm Leisure Centre on Canvey, Sandon in Chelmsford and Lakeside in Thurrock.
For more details and travel advice, visit www.getaheadofthegames.com or follow @GAOTG on Twitter.
Comments(13)
Sweet P
says...
3:22pm Wed 1 Feb 12
GentleGiant
says...
3:41pm Wed 1 Feb 12
What right has some committee to tell us what roads we can and can't use.
EssexBoy1968
says...
4:44pm Wed 1 Feb 12
Nebs
says...
5:46pm Wed 1 Feb 12
benfleet101
says...
5:49pm Wed 1 Feb 12
Francis Grubb
says...
7:26pm Wed 1 Feb 12
Nebs wrote:Quote of the Day!
If they made the mountain bike course a shared space then it would add to the spectacle.
Frank
Visteopension
says...
7:30pm Wed 1 Feb 12
bob7
says...
7:38pm Wed 1 Feb 12
Touch79
says...
3:51am Thu 2 Feb 12
How many Castle Point residents were able to get tickets for this event? I've spoken to several dozen and none were.
So where is the benefit to Castle Point residents?
Shuttle buses ensure that attendees won't be staying around in Hadleigh to spend any money there.
Rail passengers are being instructed to alight at Leigh so no benefit to Castle Point's own cabs.
Local residents are being told not to clutter the roads, and some won't be even able to park outside their own homes.
Can anyone cite any examples of how local business people or residents are actually benefitting from this event?
Sweet P
says...
9:43am Thu 2 Feb 12
Not just for one weekend if you work and commute to London daily. Not always convenient to take two weeks off or stagger working hours.
John T Pharro
says...
2:31pm Thu 2 Feb 12
Touch79 wrote:Absolutly right nobody benefits and the Castle Point Taxi drivers will only loose out and I did suggest to Councillor Castle at one of the so called "consultation" meetings that the footpath from Benfleet to Leigh along the seawall be made up as a cycle track and walkway. Not only would that have been a real legacy for a lot of residents after the games both Benfleet and Leigh Stations could have been used, the event visitors could have walked along it and entered the games over the railway crossing (properly marshalled of course) an a road train run along it.
The local Olympics for local people? Not.
How many Castle Point residents were able to get tickets for this event? I've spoken to several dozen and none were.
So where is the benefit to Castle Point residents?
Shuttle buses ensure that attendees won't be staying around in Hadleigh to spend any money there.
Rail passengers are being instructed to alight at Leigh so no benefit to Castle Point's own cabs.
Local residents are being told not to clutter the roads, and some won't be even able to park outside their own homes.
Can anyone cite any examples of how local business people or residents are actually benefitting from this event?
There would then have been no need to widen Castle Lane and only those disabled or those who wanted to would have needed a taxi or bus.
I had a lot of support from the public at that meeting and no member of the public was against it.
Did I get any reply from Councillor Castle of course not.
Anyone else out there think Councillor Castle had made up his mind and the widening of Castle Lane was a done deal?
I doubt if the matter was ever even discussed after the meeting the same as other suggestions.
GentleGiant
says...
6:43pm Thu 2 Feb 12
Mind you they probably all have free tickets to the Olympics with luxury hospitality included!
SaveOurStanford says...
3:12pm Wed 1 Feb 12