[[File:London 2012 Olympic route network sign.jpg|thumb|Sign on [[Cromwell Road]] during [[London 2012]] giving information on the Olympic route network]] [[File:Games Lane of the London 2012 Olympic route network.JPG|thumb|Dedicated games lane on [[Cromwell Road]] as part of the Olympic route network during [[London 2012]]]] An '''Olympic route network''' (ORN{{Citation needed|date=September 2013}}) and '''Paralympic route network''' (PRN{{Citation needed|date=September 2013}}) is a network of dedicated roads linking venues and other key sites in a [[Host cities of the Olympic Games|host city]] during [[Olympic Games|Olympic]] and [[Paralympic Games|Paralympic]] games to ensure that athletes and officials get to events on time. Roads that are part of the network have 'games lanes' which are reserved for accredited games vehicles and on-call emergency vehicles.
For the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, a route network came into effect under the [[London Olympic Games and Paralympic Games Act 2006]] which gave the [[Olympic Delivery Authority]] temporary powers to take over traffic management measures during [[London 2012]].<ref>{{cite news |title=London 2012 Olympic Route Network Q&A |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-18877516 |newspaper=[[BBC News]] |date=17 July 2012 |access-date=28 July 2012}}</ref>
The ORN and PRN were first introduced for the [[2000 Sydney Olympics]] as a result of problems at the [[Atlanta Olympics]] four years earlier when athletes had difficulty getting to their events on time.<ref>{{cite news |title=How will Games Lanes affect Olympics?n |author=Michael Hirst |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-16441912 |newspaper=[[BBC News]] |date=17 January 2012 |access-date=28 July 2012}}</ref> In July 2012, just before the start of the 2012 Olympics, [[Hackney carriage|London taxi drivers]] blocked some games lanes to protest against the ORN.<ref>{{cite news |title=London 2012: Black cab drivers protest over Games Lanes ban |author=Michael Hirst |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-16277688 |newspaper=[[BBC News]] |date=25 July 2012 |access-date=28 July 2012}}</ref> The games lanes for London 2012 has been pejoratively referred to as [[ZiL lanes]], in reference to dedicated lanes for VIPs in Moscow.<ref name="Sandford">{{cite news|title=Zil lanes: From Moscow to London 2012|last=Sandford|first=Daniel|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-18990105|publisher=BBC News|date=29 July 2012|access-date=29 July 2012}}</ref>
The ORN and PRN for the 2012 Olympics were controlled by the London Streets Traffic Control Center (LSTCC). They used computer systems as well as CCTV cameras to control London's traffic. By using the technology, the LSTCC was able to make sure vehicles on the ORN were able to reach their destinations in a straightforward manner.<ref>{{Cite news|date=2012-07-25|title=London 2012 Olympic Route Network Q&A|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-16277688|access-date=2021-03-07}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}<!--added above External links/Sources by script-assisted edit-->
== External links == * [http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20130228114959/http://www.london2012.com/ London 2012 main site] * [http://www.tfl.gov.uk/gettingaround/london2012/24565.aspx Transport for London]
[[Category:Olympic venues|Route network]] [[Category:Road traffic management]] {{Olympic-stub}} {{Paralympics-stub}}