Pan Am/Parapan Am Games transportation plans unveiled

Visitors and participants of the Pan Am and Parapan Am Games can take advantage of a series of beefed up transportation options across the Golden Horseshoe region.

Transportation planners unveiled the details of the region-wide transitplan Tuesday morning for the upcoming games, which begin on July 10.

The transportation plan is not only to ensure athletes, game officials and spectators can get to the games on time, officials said. It also aims to keep the region moving by providing options for residents and businesses.

Here are some highlights from the presentation.

Temporary HOV lanes

Workers are currently installing temporary HOV lanes on major highways in the region. They will be in use starting on June 29, about two weeks before the opening ceremony of the games.

Anyone using the lanes between June 29 and July 27 will need to have three or more people in their vehicle, while vehicles using the lanes from July 28 to August 18 will need to have two or more people.The lanes will also be used by buses, taxis, electric vehicles with green licence plates, among others.

The lanes will be active from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. during the games.

HOV lanes have been a standard feature in multi-sport games such as the the 2012 London Olympics and the 2010 Vancouver Olympics for many years, the planners said. However, unlike in London and Vancouver where the lanes were reserved for athletes and game officials only, the lanes for the Pan Am and Parapan Am Games are open to the public.

Police will be enforcing the use of temporary HOV lanes starting on June 29. Drivers who violate the rules face a fine of $110 and three demerit points.

Free transit rides

Game ticket holders will get free rides on transit systems across the region on the day of their event. Their tickets will act as transit fares.

That means a ticket-holdingHamiltonian, for example, can hop on the GO train and then the TTC to get to a game in Toronto for free.

The free rides are only offered in cities with transit systems. A few locations, such as the equestrian park in Caledonand the shooting centre in Innisfil, are notaccessible by public transit.

Extra GO service

GO Transit will be offering special service to Hamilton's Tim Hortons Field, known as the CIBC Hamilton Pan Am Soccer Stadium during the games. With soccer matchestaking place every day during the Pan Am Games,the stadium is one of the busiest venues across the region.

• Pan Am's Hamilton traffic plan
• West Harbour GO will start service with 2 trains each way daily

In addition to regular services on the Lakeshore West line, GO will be offering one to two extra train trips to the new West Harbour GO station in Hamilton for every game. From there, shuttle buses arranged by HSR will take visitors to the venue.

There will also be one to two extra trains leaving Hamilton after each game.

On the rest of the GO grid,existingGO trains provide direct access to four of the game venues. Other GO stations will offer shuttle bus connections to take visitors to venues.

There will also be more GO buses on select routes to handle increased demand.

Impact on residents, businesses

Residents and businessesare encouraged to plan ahead to get around more easily and reduce traffic across the region.

For example, residents can carpool andchange their travel routes to avoid game venues and road closures. Businesses owners can adjust delivery times and organize virtual meetings.

Overall, the planners hope to reduce transportation demand during peak times by 20 per cent.

Andrew Posluns, executive director of the Ontario Ministry of Transportation's transit policy branch, said he is confident that residents and business owners will take the planners up on their request.

"Everyone wants to see the region put on a fantastic game," he said during the presentation.

For more information and graphics related totransportation during the games, take a look at the planners' presentation slides below.