Olympic-sized Congestion: Traffic tips for the Games. (Olympics).

The biggest problem with welcoming the world to Utah' is that the world [or at least what will feel like the whole world) is actually going to be coming to Utah. In just a few months, the streets of Salt Lake City and surrounding areas will be congested with an extra few thousand people. And

On loan from the Utah Depar ent of Transportation (UDOT), Andrew Gemperline, who directs the Salt Lake Organizing Committee's (SLOC) transportation p1 ng, says SLOC, UDOT and venue cities have been working together to develop a transportation plan that will facilitate the transport of thousands of Olympic participants and spectators, while still allowing residents to go to work and get to the grocery store The gist for Utah businesses? Plan ahead.

Peak traffic times will be about three hours before events and two hours after, according to Gemperline, who stresses that if residents plan ahead so they are driving at other times they will have fewer traffic problems. Gemperline and other experts agree that there will be heavy traffic - there is no avoiding that - but residents can plan ahead to avoid the times of heaviest gridlock.

Fraser Bullock, SLOC's chief operating officer and executive vice president, says in developing its transportation plan SLOC looked at everyone who will be involved in transportation during the games, from athletes and their families, to residents and commuters. With their different needs in mind, SLOC developed specific advice for each group. For example, spectators are advised to carpool to designated park-and-ride lots near events and ride uses to the venues.

To help residents go about their llyes as routinely as possible, the plan calls for a widespread information campaign. Through a website (www.utahcommuterlink.com), an informational brochure and meetings with businesses, SLOC will educate Utah residents on how to maneuver Olympic traffic. "We're getting the message out about what to expect, providing the information that will help residents make better [commuting) decisions," Gemperline claims.

The commuterlink website will provide real-time traffic information and highway camera shots as well as event times and commuting advice. As residents go about their lives, these tools will be invaluable in avoiding delays, according to Gemperline.

SLOC is also trying to help businesses keep their operations running smoothly. Gemperline says employers should consider more flexible schedules during the two weeks of the games, allowing employees to come in early and leave early. This will help commuters avoid Olympic traffic and also allow employees to attend evening Olympic events. "Telecommuting is also a good idea," says Gemperline. 'Whenever possible, people should work at home and avoid the traffic rush altogether."

The busiest road, Gemperline explains, will be eastbound Interstate 80, which feeds four venues with events that will begin at the same time some mornings. SLOC has encouraged trucking companies in the area to avoid 1-80 in the mornings if at all possible. According to Gemperline, over 40,000 people will be traveling this stretch of road that was built to facilitate 5,500 cars an hour.

"Carpooling will be the key to the success of our transportation plan," Bullock explains. SLOC estimates that if three people ride in each car on 1-80 in the mornings, crippling delays will be avoided. Other important parts of the plan include park-and-ride lots and walk-and-ride lots currently being built all over Salt Lake and near venues. Spectators can avoid the heavy traffic near events by parking in these lots and riding buses and shuttles to the venues.

Recent improvements to Utah's highways and the new TRAX lines will also help residents and Olympic guests alike get to where they need to go. The Interstate 15 reconstruction includes a high-tech traffic control system called Intelligent Transportation System [ITS). The system controls traffic lights, minimizing frequent starts and stops. It can reroute traffic through electronic message displays (STET) over the 1-15 corridor. It even senses the temperature of the road, allowing more efficient snow removal.

UDOT hopes the University TRAX line will be fully operational by the start of the games. If so, both lines will run throughout the games, except for the opening and closing ceremonies during which times the University line will not run for security reasons. Additional TRAX cars will be used to reduce the regular 16-minute interval between cars to eight minutes. Although SLOC has planned extensively, flexibility will be required to keep everything on track.

Bret Clark is Provo-based freelance writer.

RELATED ARTICLE: TRANSPORTATION TIPS

TOP FIVE THINGS TO DO

1. Avoid travel on 1-80 (between Salt Lake City and Park City) eastbound in the morning and westbound in the afternoon

2. Plan on leaving downtown Salt Lake City no later than 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. unless you will be attending evening Olymplaevents.

3. Avoid traveling near the E Center from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 a.m.

4. Ask your employee to alter your works schedule to avoid peak travel periods

5. Use public transit combine your tripsand carpool whenever possible