As Utah hosts the Salt Lake 2002 Olympic Winter Games, downtown will become the hub of activity, beginning with the torch relay on Thursday, then opening and closing ceremonies, medals ceremonies, live music, dining, shopping and athletic events.
And with all the festivities, comes congestion. Up to half of the roads in the central business district will have closures, limited parking and general road restrictions. This includes the closure of sections of State Street and 400 South for the torch relay on Thursday. It's more critical than ever that spectators and commuters plan their downtown trips now.
Managing the Olympic Spectator Transportation System in Salt Lake City, Utah Transit Authority anticipates carrying 70,000 daily spectators to downtown. In comparison, UTA's TRAX light-rail system is currently averaging just more than 25,000 passengers a day along the 15-mile north-south line and the recently opened University line.
The math is simple. TRAX just can't get all of the spectators to downtown, so Games transportation planners strongly urge spectators to take advantage of free park-and-ride shuttles to get to Salt Lake Olympic Square, Olympic Medals Plaza, Games Superstore and downtown restaurants and shops.
Otherwise they'll be watching red brake lights instead of the glimmer of gold at a medals ceremony.
In addition, shuttles offer free, continuous and direct service for Games enthusiasts. To make the transportation experience to downtown less frustrating, 300 shuttles will run from 11 park-and-ride lots throughout the Salt Lake Valley to meet the demand. Games shuttles directly to and from downtown will operate in the afternoons and run through 1 a.m.
Even if you've never used public transit, the system is simple. Just drive to your neighborhood park-and-ride lot, jump on a free shuttle and head downtown.
To determine where your nearest park-and-ride lot is, visit www.utahcommuterlink.com and type in your ZIP code. Remember to check the site for each trip, because the lot for your ZIP code and hours of shuttle operation change depending on the day.
Plenty of information is available, in addition to the Web site, to help you "Know Before You Go" during the Games. The free, comprehensive Olympic Transportation Guide is available at neighborhood Smith's Food and Drug stores statewide. For information on current road conditions during the Games, use Utah's free 511 travel information hotline.
UTA is looking forward to bringing spectators from around the world to the Games. Your transportation "game plan" is your ticket to enjoy the spirit of the Salt Lake 2002 Olympic Winter Games. By riding the bus shuttle system, you will have the best Olympic transportation experience you can get.
John Inglish is general manager for the Utah Transit Authority.