In it’s Sept. 2 report, the International Olympic Committee voiced concerns about Chicago’s transportation system. But it wasn’t the first time.
Back in March 2008′s Games of the XXXI Olympiad 2016 Working Group Report, IOC officials made similar comments.
The March 2008 report cites Chicago’s wish to create one of the most compact and convenient Olympic Games in history, which would result in favorable travel times.
Back in 2008, the average travel distance from the Olympic Village — at 30th Street and South Cottage Grove Avenue — would be 14 km, with an average travel time of 15-20 minutes.
In the Sept. 2 report, the IOC noted that 90 percent of those in the Olympic Village would be within 15 minutes of competition venues. Of those, 46 percent would be within 5 minutes of the competition venues.
According to Chicago 2016′s fact sheet, the transportation plan includes a system “tailored to serve every Olympic site,” which were chosen based upon existing transportation infrastructure.
Of the competition venues, 90 percent are served by two or more rail lines.
And Chicago 2016 organizers have said any IOC concerns over the public transportation system can be resolved because the Olympics would be the stimulus for needed repair and expansion.
According to the Sept. 2 IOC report, about $9 billion will be invested between 2008 and 2016 to upgrade transport infrastructure, particularly rail transport. In addition, $ 3.6 billion has been earmarked to replace and supplement rail rolling stock.
Other tidbits from the March 2008 report include:
– Since Chicago’s transport plans include no spectator or workforce venue parking, a shuttle bus service would connect all Olympic venues to city and suburban rail stations. In addition, more than 90,000 temporary park-and-ride facilities within 62 miles would be connected to the Chicago radial rail system. These integrated traffic policies would more than double peak commuter traffic demands on Chicago’s Metra rail system, with this system expected to take approximately two-thirds of the overall 2016 Olympic rail traffic. Such an increase would be a major challenge given the magnitude of Chicago’s general rail infrastructure and rolling stock upgrade needs.
– Three sports — equestrian, modern pentathlon and shooting — are more than 49 miles from the Olympic Village.
– Most venues along Lake Michigan coastline are well connected by roads and motorways, but appear to be some distance from rail stations.
– There is a lack of detail concerning inter-cluster transport. Should Chicago be selected as a Candidate City, careful traffic management in the central cluster as well as within and between the other relatively large clusters, would be required.
– Few indications have been provided about spectator, volunteer and workforce transport operations.
We’ll be checking on some of these to see how they have been addressed in Chicago 2016′s Bid Book.
You can read the IOC’s Evaluation of Potential Host Cities here.