City’s traffic routes alter
The traffic map of Athens is to change dramatically for a month and a half, due to new regulations connected with the Olympic Games. Traffic restrictions will affect sections of the main road grid as well as areas around the Olympic installations. The big test will be how willing Athenians are to use public transport instead of their own cars. Only the central traffic lanes will be open to all vehicles within the 36.6-kilometer Olympic ring, which is bounded by Kifissou, Poseidonos, Syngrou, Kallirois, Ardittou, Vass. Constantinou and Vass. Sofias avenues. The same restrictions apply to part of the 238.4-kilometer (148-mile) primary Olympic road grid, which includes arterial roads such as Katehaki, Kapodistriou, Kimis, Petrou Ralli, and Vari-Koropi avenues. Strictly policed Throughout the grid, the left-hand lane of each road will become the Olympic lane and the right-hand lane a bus lane, both of which will be strictly policed. Only accredited Olympic family vehicles, special buses carrying spectators and emergency vehicles (such as patrol cars and ambulances) will be permitted to use the Olympic lane. Traffic limitations will apply to restricted entry and circulation zones (ZEEK) and restricted parking zones (ZES), which surround all the Olympic installations, the Olympic Village and the press village at Aghios Andreas, Attica. In the ZEEK, which extend 50-400 meters from the installation fencing, entry will be permitted only to vehicles that are accredited, either because they are connected with the Games or belong to people who reside or work in the area and have obtained special permits from Athens 2004 through their local municipality. The ZES will fan out around the perimeter of the ZEEK, at a distance of 100-1,000 meters. Vehicles will be permitted to circulate normally, but will not be allowed to stop or park without permission on certain streets. Pedestrians will have free access to both ZES and ZEEK.
