Are you ready for the FIFA World Cup to take over Vancouver?
Organizers launched a “Know Before You Go” campaign Wednesday as a way to help prepare the city for match day madness.
Hoping to reduce traffic congestion on roads as much as possible during game days, the City of Vancouver, the VPD, and TransLink all encourage spectators to take public transit.
“TransLink will be adding approximately 600 more bus trips per day, along with dedicated FIFA Fan Festival shuttles connecting customers between 29th Avenue Station, Renfrew Station, and the PNE Fairgrounds,” said TransLink CEO Kevin Quinn.
Various streets will be closed for the duration of the tournament and will be turned into pedestrian zones. This includes Pacific Boulevard as well as Granville Street.
The area just outside of BC Place, Terry Fox Plaza, and Beatty Street will also be a pedestrian zone, but only on the seven match days in Vancouver, from June 13 to July 7.
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Meanwhile, the VPD shared more information about policing and public security during the event. What they want you to know, says Deputy Chief Don Chapman, is that they will be out in full force, and they will be bringing in resources from all over.
“Those partner agencies include the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, our good friends from Metro Vancouver Transit Police, Delta Police Department,” Chapman said.
“Our friends from Alberta, that is Calgary Police Services and also Edmonton Police Service, will be in town. So we’re all going to be working together to keep the city safe throughout the entire event.”
Chapman is reminding people that drinking alcohol in areas where it is prohibited will be a bad idea. And flying a drone near BC Place? Don’t even think about it.
In the meantime, he says you can expect to see the police conducting training exercises, especially if you are downtown over the next few weeks.
Chris May, general manager with BC Place, said some World Cup policies will differ from those usually in place, and instead of a bag check, FIFA has arranged storage for restricted items outside the stadium perimeter, at a cost of $20 per item.
Water bottles must be empty, transparent, soft-sided and a maximum of one litre.
May says a “significant stadium footprint” will be in effect during the World Cup period, and people who live and work in the area should be aware that certain routes around the stadium won’t be accessible.
— With files from Raynaldo Suarez, Dean Recksiedler, and The Canadian Press