Gary Brewer, vice-president finance and administration, has issued the following message to the York University community.
As you all know, the Pan Am/Parapan Am Games are fast approaching, with more than 30 competition venues spread across 16 municipalities in Ontario. The city of Toronto will host the 2015 Pan Am Games from July 10 to 26 and the Parapan Am Games from Aug. 7 to 15.
As part of the Games, York University is proud to host both the track & field and the tennis events at its Keele campus. Track & field events for the Pan Am and Parapan Am Games will take place July 21 to 25 and Aug. 10 to 14 respectively. The Parapan Am opening ceremonies will be held in York’s new stadium on Friday, Aug. 7. The recently renamed Aviva Centre (previously Rexall Centre) will be home to Pan Am tennis from July 11 to 16.
For further details related to these events, refer to the Community Information Notice for the pertinent dates and impacts to Keele campus during this exciting time. It includes a map of the venue’s security fence areas, as well as a description of the key dates and required temporary adjustments to parking, access, service and deliveries. Contact information is also included for those who have questions. Please share the information notice widely, with colleagues, community members and business partners. Keep the document handy, as there are several key dates and temporary restrictions aligning with Keele campus events.
With an influx of new visitors to the Greater Toronto Area – an estimated 250,000 – and the anticipated increase in volume of traffic on roadways, the province is seeking a 20 per cent reduction in traffic to help minimize delays. Municipalities will be altering how specific transportation routes are to be used during the Games. For example, vehicle occupancy requirements for existing and temporary high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes will change. From June 21 to July 27, between the hours of 5am and 11pm, vehicles using HOV lanes will require a minimum of three occupants. From July 28 to Aug. 28, vehicles using HOV lanes will require a minimum of two occupants. These HOV lanes will operate on sections of Highway 427, Highway 404, Highway 401, the Queen Elizabeth Way, the Don Valley Parkway, the Gardiner Expressway, Lakeshore Boulevard and Jane Street. If you arrive to Keele campus via Shoreham Drive from Jane Street, you will need to refer to the information notice for the periodic restrictions, as that route will also be used for athletes and Games officials on competition days.
Faculty, staff and students are asked to take some time to plan how they might reduce their frequency of travel or use alternate modes of transportation, such as public transit. They should also think about how this busy period may affect the time required to reach their destination. Some other considerations include the following:
- Travelling at slightly different times may be faster and get you closer to your expected time of arrival. The typical process of approval for altering work hours will apply.
- Carpooling: Smart Commute has a carpool match program that can help you find smart travel options and York’s Parking Services offers carpooling parking permits.
- Planning vacation: Does it make sense to take it during the Games?
Additional information related to the Games and transportation planning is available on the following websites:
- panam2015.info.yorku.ca
- 2015gamestripplanner.ca
- toronto2015.org/venues
- smartcommute.ca/north-toronto-vaughan
- ontario.ca/travel-and-recreation/pan-amparapan-am-games-transitdriving-and-traffic-routes
The Pan Am/Parapan Games are the culmination of many years of planning and preparation. I hope we are all able to take some time to enjoy them – in particular, the events held at York University.
Join me in cheering on Team Canada!