The Grey Cup festival is here, and organizers have provided a plan to get to Lansdowne for all the fun, and Sunday's big game.
Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group (OSEG) had been working on a transportation plan for the big game for more than a year.
The key message is to leave the car at home.
Anyone with a Grey Cup Ticket will be able to ride the bus for free, to and from Lansdowne Park. Customers will have to show their pass, either a physical or e-ticket, to the driver for a free ride.
Anyone heading to Lansdowne Park for a Grey Cup Festival Event will have free access to the bus three hours before and after the event, as long as they produce a ticket.
"We are implementing measures to make sure that the buses have priority so that the service they will get when they jump on those buses will be really, really good and we will make sure they get down here early so they can have a good time," said Bernie Ashe, the CEO of OSEG.
To help ease congestion, Bank Street will close to cars on game day from Fifth Avenue to Sunnyside. A no parking ban will also go into effect from Chamberlain to Riverside Drive. This is the first time in four years OSEG will have to close roads for an event.
"We're excited and we're ready," said Ashe, adding that the major message is don't drive downtown.
To keep up with demand, OC Transpo said it is doubling the number of buses on the route to Lansdowne Park and it is also bringing in more special constables to help direct traffic.
"We will have double the amount of service that day and we will be operating earlier and later into the day," said Pat Scrimgeour, OC Transpo's director of customer services.
For those planning on riding their bike, the city of Ottawa said there will be no bike parking at the Grey Cup Festival. Due to the large number of crowds, about 250,000 people are expected to attend the week-long festival, the city is discouraging bike lockups in the middle of large crowds. Bike parking will be available at Sunnyside Library and at Silvia Holden Park.
Key Notes:
Free OC Transpo and STO Service - All Day November 22-27 - All Routes
- For Grey Cup Game Ticket Holders – your ticket is your unlimited pass to free transit to and from Lansdowne from Wednesday, November 22, until Monday, November 27.
- For Grey Cup Festival Ticket Holders – Free transit three hours before and three hours following your festival event. Use your event ticket or download your daily Festival HQ Ticket and show the printed or e-ticket to the driver.
- - OC Transpo Routes 6 & 7 stop at Lansdowne and near ByWard Market and Shaw Centre
Game Day:
Free TD Place Park & Shuttle
- 12:00 p.m. (Noon) to 12:00 a.m. (Midnight)
- Parking at Canada Post, Vincent Massey and City Hall
- Free for Grey Cup Game Ticket Holders
Curb Side Drop Off
- Taxi Staging: Fifth Avenue – Bank to Rupert
- General Pick-up/Drop-off: Fifth Avenue Rupert to O’Connor
Free TD Place Park & Shuttle
- 12:00 p.m. (Noon) to 12:00 a.m. (Midnight)
- Parking at Canada Post, Vincent Massey and City Hall
- Free for Grey Cup Game Ticket Holders