Paving the road to an Olympic sized traffic ‘migraine’

[unhappycamper]

http://www.bostonherald.com/news_opinion/local_coverage/2015/07/paving_the_road_to_an_olympic_sized_traffic_migraine



Paving the road to an Olympic sized traffic ‘migraine’
Thursday, July 23, 2015
Jack Encarnacao, Erin Smith

The proposed 2024 Summer Games could bring gridlock and bottlenecks to the Bay State’s already jammed highways, as motorists are excluded from miles of special VIP lanes and congestion worsens from an increase of freight trucks on the road.

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Olympic organizers plan to shut down at least one lane of traffic on any road or highway connecting sporting events, which include venues in Boston, New Bedford, Lowell and Worcester. The express VIP lanes are expected to include I-93 and the Pike, but it’s unclear exactly how many other roadways could become bottlenecks because officials haven’t yet announced locations for a velodrome, aquatics center, golf, preliminary basketball games or a media center.

Boston 2024 CEO Richard Davey defended the mandated so-called Olympic Route Network, saying the private lanes, which would only be in use when needed, have “proven to be efficient for the Olympics and also proven to be fairly innocuous for the city residents.”

Davey also predicted that congestion will be avoided because people who don’t have to drive will stay off the roads during the Olympics and summer traffic is typically lighter.