London boroughs hope that planned transport improvements for the Olympics will not be temporary, but have lasting benefits for residents. ~Emma Peters~ corporate director for development and renewal in Tower Hamlets, said this week: ‘The Olympic Games will create a network of cycle ways through our borough. We have to make sure that, after the event, these remain open and used to the full benefit of the residents of Tower Hamlets.’ Peters argued the case for permanent benefits from Olympic transport schemes at a conference on delivering the games. She said the proposed extensive cycle routes could help combat the bad health of the poorest residents of the area. The census of 2001 revealed the borough included 11 of the country’s 48 poorest districts. The Association of London Government is also hopeful that the capital’s residents and visitors could receive lasting benefit from the traffic management improvements to accompany the games. ~Nick Lester~ director of the ALG’s transport and environment committee, welcomed the updating of the London Traffic Control Centre, installation of more roadside cameras, and the deployment of information signs to alert drivers to problems around the city. Olympic participants should be able to travel at average speeds of 45-50 km/hr over ‘Olympic route network’ roads – including the M4 out to Weymouth for sailing events – thanks to traffic management improvements (Surveyor, 9 June 2005). The boroughs could also benefit from the long-held ambition of an orbital railway – dubbed ‘orbirail’ – after completion of the East London line. ~Transport for London~ will take over services on the North London line – part of a circle from and to Clapham Junction via Willesden Junction, Camden Road, Dalston Junction, Canada Water and Denmark Hill – in November 2007. Lester highlighted that this would create the opportunity to introduce orbital services.