Starting Friday, Vancouver Olympic organizers are hoping to cut vehicle traffic in the city by five percent each week leading up to the start of the Games.
But there are no plans to expand transit options until the Games actually begin. And there is no requirement that city or VANOC employees take part.
The goal of the organizers is to reduce vehicle traffic by 30 percent by Feb. 12.
"We're getting ready for 30 percent more trips, particularly into and out of downtown, and at the same time, to support VANOC and the Integrated Security Unit, we're losing 20 percent of our road network," said Dale Bracewell of the city's engineering services department.
Olympic organizers are encouraging drivers to take transit, work from home or adjust their business hours as part of their "TravelSmart 2010" challenge.
However, TransLink has no plans to increase its fleet of buses, add a third SeaBus, or add any WestCoast Express trains until the Games begin.
Ken Hardie, a Translink spokesman, insists the transit system will be able to handle the extra loads over the next few weeks.
"I think if people take up the challenge, and we hope they do, they'll find there's lots of room on transit for them," Hardy said.
Meanwhile, city and VANOC officials say while they are urging employees to take part in the vehicle-reduction efforts, there is no requirement they do so.
It's not so much about results, but about getting the message out, they say.
"We're not so worried about whether we get to five or ten percent in a week," said Terry Wright, VANOC's executive vice president of service operations. "We're more interested in making sure the message gets out and people start to think."
For more information about TravelSmart 2010, click here.
With a report from CTV British Columbia's Stephen Smart
