ABSTRACT
Past Olympic host cities pursuing the IOC’s transport dream of highly efficient, integrated, reliable and all-around excellent transport services during the Games were frequently confronted with unexpected urban realities. Contrary to the hopes of planners, governments and residents alike to use the event as a catalyst for a permanent increase in public transit usage, operational implementations were mainly of a temporary nature and led only in a few instances to long-term commuter benefits. Infrastructural improvements showed mixed outcomes. Some remain as “white elephants” (high maintenance costs, low ridership) in host cities, stemming from the lack of alignment between their own urban vision and the Olympic transport dream.
