Transportation Planning for the Olympics in Salt Lake City and Atlanta

Readings: Salt Lake City	Readings: Atlanta
Official Salt Lake City Olympics Website	Official Atlanta Olympics Website

 

ABSTRACT

Hosting the Olympics can be the most complex and largest coordination of a group of visitors in a city’s history. Athletic venues and accommodations need to be constructed or renovated and the city’s infrastructure must be upgraded to handle a sudden temporary increase in traffic. Funding for these projects must also be secured. Finally, the proper coordination of the movement of crowds ensures that there isn’t a total breakdown of the traffic system, which would be catastrophic for the success of the games. Once the athletes have gone home, city leaders, developers, and community members hope that the redevelopment started before the Olympics continues. Read on for more information on Olympics, Urban Transportation and Redevelopment.

Questions to consider while reading:

1. How does major event change individual’s short term travel behavior?
2. Does the changed travel behavior remain (even a little) after the Olympics?
3. How was the transportation during Olympics planned and implemented?
4. What technologies contributed to a better transportation system?
5. What are the relationships between Olympics and downtown or neighborhood revitalization?
6. What are the social impacts of the Olympics?
7. Does transit leave a legacy after Olympics?
8. What do local residents think about the Olympics?