VANCOUVER: The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) today called the Olympic transportation lockdown yet another blow to taxpaying businesses and citizens in the Lower Mainland. 

"If major routes into the city are closed, how will people access their homes and workplaces?" said Maureen Bader, BC Director of the CTF. "The Lower Mainland of B.C. is already a traffic nightmare and what do our political leaders do with tax dollars?

Spend billions on a two-week amateur athletic event and leave taxpayers stuck in traffic." 

The 2010 Winter Games integrated transportation plan for Metro Vancouver and the Sea to Sky corridor will reduce the local road network capacity to downtown Vancouver by 20 percent. For travel from east of downtown, Vancouver capacity will be reduced by 50 percent. This is to ensure smooth transportation for those who must travel in the region. 

"It would appear our political leaders and VANOC don't seem to think regular working taxpayers and business owners have a need for travel in the region," continued Bader.

Some roads will be closed entirely, such as the Georgia and Dunsmuir Viaducts, both key links into the city. The plan states people who work or live in the areas will continue to have access to their homes and/or workplaces. How that will happen is unclear, however, there will be a checkpoint to discourage unnecessary car trips into Whistler and a permitting system near Whistler venues for local residents and businesses. 

"It's not for government bureaucrats to be deciding which trips are necessary and unnecessary," said Bader. "Closures, checkpoints and permits are just the security measures that will lead to a legacy of electronic surveillance in B.C."