With 6 months to go until the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games comes to the region, Warwickshire residents and businesses are encouraged to get set for the games!
Friday 28 January marks exactly 6 months until the start of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games and to mark the date Birmingham 2022 and Games Partners have launched their ‘Get Set for the Games’ campaign. This important programme will provide useful information for businesses and residents to help ensure the region is ready to welcome a huge influx of visitors from around the world this summer.
Birmingham 2022 is the biggest multi-sport event to be held in the UK since the London 2012 Olympics and it is the largest event ever to be held in the West Midlands region. It will officially begin on 28 July with a spectacular Opening Ceremony at the newly transformed Alexander Stadium and the Games is expected to attract more than 4,500 athletes from 72 nations and territories who’ll take part in 19 different sports and eight Para sports.
Warwickshire will be hosting 3 events during the Games period with the Bowl and para-bowls taking place at Leamington’s Victoria Park and the cycling road race winding through the historic streets of Warwick.
With some of the world’s best athletes already selected to compete at this prestigious event, it’s no surprise that more than one million spectators are set to attend, so organisers are keen to highlight the information that will be available to all residents and businesses, explaining the potential temporary impacts on journeys and normal day to day activities during the 12-day event.
‘Get Set for the Games’ is a joint campaign involving a variety of organisations, including Transport for West Midlands, Birmingham City Council, plus all of the other local authorities that are coming together to host events across the region. West Midlands Police and the other emergency services are also involved in ensuring the efficient and safe delivery of the Games.
To ensure the smooth running of Birmingham 2022, there will be temporary changes to roads, parking regulations and public transport around the 15 competition venues and the Games accommodation sites.
To help ensure reliable journey times for athletes and officials, who need to get from their accommodation to competition venues on time, and for spectators, who need to arrive before the sports sessions begin, there will be additional traffic management in place. There will also be traffic management on local roads in the vicinity of venues and to help maintain access for residents and businesses.
Public transport operators are also looking at increasing capacity, frequency of service and operating hours, to manage demand during the Games, especially as, for events in the West Midlands, spectators will have access to public transport included within their Games ticket for the local area on the day of their event. A journey planner will be released later in the year to help people plan their travel during the Games.
With just six months to go until Birmingham 2022 begins, residents and businesses alike are being encouraged to plan ahead and to think about how and when they will travel during what will be a busy and exciting time for Warwickshire and the wider region.
Cllr Izzi Seccombe, Leader of Warwickshire County Council, said: “We are very excited that there are only six months to go until the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games and very proud that the location of the road race will be Warwick and that, with our partners in the District Council, we will be hosting this incredible event.
“Warwickshire has been building an international reputation as a venue for world-class cycling for years since the county first hosted a stage of the Women’s Tour and, later, of the Tour of Britain. This is another opportunity for us to shine in front of a global audience.
“The Games coming to our region is truly a once in a lifetime event and I hope our residents will take the opportunity to prepare for the Games now using the new resources that are available through the Get Set for the Games programme.
“I also hope to see lots of our residents taking advantage of the volunteering opportunities that are available from being part of the volunteer cast for the opening and closing ceremonies to nominating people to become Batonbearers as part of the historic Queen’s Baton Relay.”
John Crabtree, Chair of Birmingham 2022 said: “We are now just six months away from the biggest event that this city and region has ever hosted. It is going to be an incredible moment in Birmingham’s history and the spotlight will be fully focused on the West Midlands - this is our time to shine.
“With more than one million tickets already sold and spectators from across the region, country and beyond travelling to all of our sports venues, the region will be a hive of activity, so now is the time for residents and businesses to start making plans for the exciting and busy summer ahead.”
Information regarding where and when transport will be busiest throughout the Games will be made available at Birmingham2022.com/getset as Birmingham 2022 and other Games Partners look to do all they can to ensure the smooth running of the event, whilst minimising the impact for residents and businesses.
On this special section of the official Games website, you can also take a look at all of the route maps for the four road events that are an important part of Birmingham 2022. This includes the Cycling Time Trial through Wolverhampton and the Black Country, the Triathlon and Para Triathlon events in and around Sutton Park, the Cycling Road Race on the roads of Warwickshire and the Marathon and Wheelchair Marathon, which will see athletes winding their way through Birmingham city centre and its suburbs.
Most of these road events are for just one day and the road closures and all of the traffic management measures that will be put place, to ensure they are safely delivered, will be published a little later in the year, along with advice for people living in the local area. You can also watch all of these events for free!
Information will continue to be added to the website and Warwickshire County Council along with partners in Warwick District Council, will also be holding community engagement sessions, where more details will be shared, plus there will be an opportunity to ask questions about the temporary changes taking place at each location.
Find out how you can Get Set for the Games here: https://www.birmingham2022.com/getset/
Follow the new Get Set for the Games Twitter account here: https://twitter.com/GetSet2022
Information about the Road Race, its route through Warwick town centre and some frequently asked questions can be found here: https://www.birmingham2022.com/venues/st-nicholas-park/
Find out more about joining the volunteer cast for the opening and closing ceremonies or how to nominate a Queen's Baton Relay Batonbearer here: https://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/news/article/2705/be-part-of-the-extraordinary-birmingham-2022-commonwealth-games
To find out more about the Commonwealth Games in Warwickshire, visit: https://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/Birmingham2022commonwealthgames