If attendance at the 2010 Winter Olympics is as high as anticipated, Vancouver and Whistler BC will have some of the busiest streets in Canada. That has the locals worried about how they'll go about their daily business.

An Olympic transportation planning team is charged with making sure the cities, and the Sea to Sky Highway that connects them, keep moving.

The team released an update to their master plan during an early-morning press briefing today at the headquarters of the Vancouver Olympic Committee. It also unveiled www.travelsmart2010.ca, a web portal for transportation information.

Vancouver 2010 "Travel Smart" web portal points Olympic crowds to sites with transit information.

Locals advised to get to know public transit

The transportation plan encourages sustainable modes of transportation. It also calls for reducing vehicle traffic by at least 30 percent in downtown Vancouver and Whistler, where the competitions will take place.

"Our message to every resident and business owner is that we need everyone to pull together to make this a success by doing their part," said Vancouver Olympics official Terry Wright. "The best way to get where you need to go and avoid delays is by planning ahead, avoiding peak travel times and knowing your transportation options now before you step out the door in February 2010."

Wright's advice to residents is to get around using public transit, which will increase greatly with more buses and trains and enhanced hours of service, as well as walking and cycling.

Spectators ride free in Vancouver

All Olympic sport venues in Vancouver can be accessed using public transit. With every Olympic and Paralympic event ticket purchased, spectators have unlimited access to public transit on the day of the event. Starting in January, SkyTrain will add 48 cars. Various bus lines will add buses and make more frequent trips. There will be no public parking at any venues.

Web portal opened

The web portal launched today will redirect users to the appropriate web site containing the transportation information they are seeking, such as the venue cities' web sites and those of various public transit agencies. www.travelsmart2010.ca

Road closed ahead

Downtown Vancouver and Whistler won't be completely closed to traffic during the games, but vehicle travel will be increasingly restricted starting in January. Parking and loading zones will become "no stopping" zones. "Olympic Lanes" will dedicate one curb lane in each direction to Olympic vehicles and city buses 24 hours a day. Pedestrian corridors will close some downtown Vancouver streets to traffic during the games, from February 12 to 28.

The Sea to Sky Highway between Vancouver and Whistler will be closed to most traffic from 6 am to 6 pm every day during the competition. The charter Olympic bus network will operate from hubs in Vancouver. Round-trip tickets from Vancouver to Cypress Mountain and Whistler will cost $12 to $50 Canadian depending on when they are purchased. The booking site will open in late November.