This went out from our media relations staff to the press. If you’re a super savvy rider, you probably know this stuff already — but if you’re not, or you know someone who is not quite up to speed, this may certainly be helpful!

1) Planning on taking public transit and DON’T have an event ticket?
(Which, if you do, gets you around on transit for FREE on the day your ticket is in effect).

Buy your Transit/FareSaver tickets ahead of time!

Pre-purchase your All Day Transit Pass or FareSaver Tickets from any of the following locations. Look for “FareDealer” signs at:

* Shopper’s Drug Mart
* 7/11 Convenience Stores
* Urban Fare on Davie in Yaletown
* Safeway Grocery Stores
* Mac’s Convenience Stores
* London Drugs

Click on http://ow.ly/17Zt7 for locations to buy ‘FareSaver’ tickets or All Day transit passes.

You’ll save money and time, and no standing in line to buy a fare at a station.

2) Travelling to BC Place Stadium or Canada Hockey Place?

If you are travelling WESTBOUND on SkyTrain (Expo/Millennium lines) please remember to EXIT at the MAIN STREET STATION. Event locations are a short walk from this station.

If you are travelling EASTBOUND from those venues, hop on at STADIUM STATION.

3) Travelling to Pacific Coliseum?

As with all venues, there is no ‘door-to-door’ transit service. A walk from transit at East Hastings is required in order to get to the Coliseum.

4) Transit for people with access/mobility issues.

While the entire TransLink system is 100% accessible (wheelchair lifts on buses, elevators at all SkyTrain stations), there is no door-to-door transit service to any of the sporting venues. We know that some event ticketholders will require extra assistance to get to where they need to go and we have arranged transportation for these passengers as close to the venues as possible.

Contact TransLink’s HandyDART service and register for a ride to the nearest venue transit access point. Download the registration form at ‘Access Transit’ on the TransLink site at www.translink.ca or call 604-575-6600. We will send you a registration form, which you can fax back. Once registered, you will be given a phone number to arrange for drop-off/pick-up for events. Please call as early as possible to arrange a ride for your event day as space may be limited.

HandyDART drop-off/pick-up points for sporting event venues:

VANCOUVER

BC Place Stadium: HandyDART will drop off and pick-up from Marinaside Crescent at Pacific Boulevard

Canada Hockey Place (GM Place): Dunsmuir & Beatty

Pacific Coliseum: Lillooet and East Hastings. Cross East Hastings, then you will be picked up by Vanoc wheelchair or golf cart to the venue.

Vancouver Olympic Centre (Hillcrest): Dinmont & Nigel Avenue

RICHMOND

Richmond Olympic Oval: River Road, at the Oval

5) Get there early.

Doors at sporting events in Vancouver and Richmond open 2 hours before the event. Plan your travel so that you can reach your destination early enough to comfortably check in and go through security.

6) Play a little longer.

You can anticipate big crowds in Vancouver in and around all sporting venues and LiveSites, every night during the Olympics. With several events ending at the same time, there will be waits for transit. If you don’t have to get back home or to your hotel right away, why not check out some of the great restaurants, stroll the bustling sidewalks and meet the locals or people from around the world? Remember that transit will be running later each night, so there is plenty of room for all if you are prepared to wait for a bit.

7) Use that Trip Planner.

Know Before You Go: visit www.TravelSmart2010.ca and use the TransLink Trip Planner as your transit guide to getting around Metro Vancouver. There’s more than one way to get to where you need to go.

8) Follow TransLink for news you can use.

TransLink web-site: www.translink.ca to learn more about transportation in Metro Vancouver

Customer Information: 604-953-3333 (5:30am to 1:30am, 7 days a week during the Olympics)

Next Bus: SMS text messaging service. You can text the bus stop number seen at each stop to 33333. Voila! Within seconds, receive the scheduled arrival times of the next 6 buses.

Google Transit: Where people anywhere in the can find the best integrated (Olympic Bus network and Metro Vancouver transit) travel options online.

Provincial Language Service: For interpretation in up to 150 different languages. Any SkyTrain attendant can help you get in touch with this service. Attendants who are multi-lingual will be wearing badges indicating languages they speak.

Twitter: www.twitter.com/translink @ translink for updates on travel situations around the Metro Vancouver area in real time.

Buzzer Blog: buzzer.translink.ca is an interactive site that presents news and views and interesting stories about transit in Metro Vancouver.

9) Have Fun!