Improved Transportation Links

In 1992 Barcelona, Spain's second-largest city, lacked decent road access and had an antiquated airport. The Olympics brought huge investment to cure these problems.

The East London Line Extension is vital to London’s 2012 Olympics bid and is an important part of the potential legacy. The new ""super-station"" - Stratford City - will send trains to Europe in one direction and Scotland (and St Pancras) in the other.

As part of an already-committed, long-term spending plan, more than $30 billion will be spent on London’s transportation system prior to 2012. These include:

extension of the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) in east London - including to London City Airport

50 per cent capacity enhancement across the DLR network

extension of the East London line

refurbishment and modernisation of all London Underground stations

45 per cent increase in capacity on the Jubilee Line, which will serve the main Olympic facilities.

a new "super-station" - Stratford City – that will send trains to Europe in one direction and Scotland (and St Pancras) in the other.

Reduction in Unemployment

A professor of European economics at the Autonomous University of Barcelona, claims that investment in the area helped reduce Barcelona's unemployment rate from 18.4% in 1986 to 9.6% in 1992.

As a result of the Sydney 2000 Olympics, according to a report by PricewaterhouseCoopers, businesses in New South Wales won over £400m in contracts, regional firms won over £130m of business, and 55 000 people received employment-related training.

The London Bid Team claims that the Olympic Park area alone will generate 12,000 new jobs, in sectors as diverse as construction, tourism and the media.

New Sports Facilities

As well as inspiration, the Games will provide more resources to make getting healthy in London easier. Some of the sporting facilities built for the Olympics and Paralympics will be kept after the Games for elite sports and community use – including the Olympic Stadium, the Aquatics Centre, the Velopark, the Hockey Centre and the Indoor Sport Centre.

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