Many streets around key Olympic venues closed to traffic Monday, another key step in the 2010 transportation plan leading up to the Olympic Winter Games.

Residential vehicle traffic around the Pacific Colleseum and Vancouver Olympic Centre curling facility are now shut down until March 3, with street closures including:

  • Midlothian Ave. from Ontario to Yukon
  • Ontario Street from E. 29th Ave to E. 33rd Ave
  • Renfrew Street from Dundas St. to Hastings St.

Signs advising "No Parking except vehicles registered to this block" have been installed on several streets. Violators will face a $100 fine and an automatic tow.

Monday's changes come only four days ahead of the most major transportation changes leading up to this month's 2010 Games. On Feb. 5, both the Georgia and Dunsmuir Viaducts will close to cars.

Buses

Eighteen buses began re-routing away from key Olympic venues Monday. The majority of the buses are in downtown Vancouver close to celebration sites and security zones.

TransLink spokesperson Drew Snider said this might be the first day Vancouverites get a real dose of what it will be like to travel around the city during the 2010 Games.

"This is the time when the people look at the situation and say ‘wow, this is real,'" he said.

"It's business as unusual."

Key bus changes:

  • #5 Robson/Downtown: Trips turn off Robson onto Thurlow, then take Smithe and Burrard to Pender.
  • N6 returns to the West End via Pender, Howe and Davie.
  • #15 Cambie/Downtown: Will travel on Smithe until Seymour, rather than turning on Cambie to Robson; it returns southbound along Richards rather than Cambie.
  • #15: No service on Cambie Bridge on Feb. 10, 12 and 28 and March 12.
  • #17 Downtown will only come as far as Davie Street.
  • #25, #33, #41, #43, #49, #480, C20, C22 will all be routed off Wesbrook south of the UBC Loop and 16th Ave. west of Blanca.
  • #33 29th Ave. Station / UBC will be routed away from the Olympic Centre at Hillcrest Park (the curling venue), going via King Edward between Cambie and Main.

West Vancouver buses will not be affected.

Snider said the company will have signs at all closed stops clearly indicating where people can catch a bus.

Full details on road closures and bus re-routes can be found online at www.translink.ca or at http://www.travelsmart2010.ca