Don't drive to Lansdowne for Grey Cup, football fans warned

With the traffic madness that's bound to ensue on Grey Cup game day, ticket holders are being urged to consider walking or taking public transit instead of driving to Lansdowne Park.

Grey Cup organizers have released a transportation plan that's intended to allow everyone attending the game and relatedfestivities to get to Lansdowne without having to drive to the Glebe.

"The main message on game day is don't drive to Lansdowne," said Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group CEO Bernie Ashe in a news release. "Bus, shuttle, bike, walk, get dropped off there are numerous transportation options available."

Public transit

Public transit will be free all day Sunday for game ticket holders riding on OCTranspoandSTObuses. Ticket holders will be asked to show their ticket to the driver upon boarding the bus.

Grey Cup festival ticket holders can ride OC Transpo and STO buses for free three hours before and three hours after theevent, provided they show their ticket to the driver.

All 450-series OC Transpobuses will be in service from 2 p.m. to midnight free for game ticket holders.

Game ticket holders can also ride free shuttlesheading to TD Place and departingfrom Canada Post on Riverside Drive, Vincent Massey Park and City Hall, between noon and midnight.

Road closures

On game day, Bank Street will be closed between Fifth Avenue and Sunnyside Avenue to all vehicles except buses, from 2 p.m. to midnight. Street parking lanes between Highway 417 and Lansdowne, as well as northbound street parking lanes between Riverdale and Lansdowne, will serve as transit lanes for buses on Sunday between 2 p.m and midnight.

A big stretch of Queen Elizabeth Drive between Somerset and Preston streets will be closed from9 p.m. tomidnight on game day. Monk Street in the Glebe will also be closed on Sunday between2 p.m. and midnight.

There will be limited parking in the Glebe and in parts of downtown on Grey Cup game day. Along with closed street parking lanes around Lansdowne, parking will be prohibited on Fifth Avenue from Lyon Street to O'Connor Street and on Lisgar Street from Elgin Street to its easternend. Parking on Monk Street will be off limits all daySunday.

Cycling, Uber

The Grey Cup transportation plan doesn't include any bike parking at Lansdowne; the closest designated spots to lock your bike will be Sunnyside Library in Old Ottawa South and Sylvia Holden Park in the Glebe.

Taxis will be available on Fifth Avenue, between Bank and Rupert Streets.A general pickup and drop-offarea has been designated further east onFifth Avenue, from Rupert to O'Connor Streets. There is no designed drop-off zone for Ubertrips.

Ashe added the Grey Cup is the biggest event at Lansdowne yet, with more than 36,000 people expected at the game, 7,000 to 8,000 of them from out of town.