Hundreds of thousands of Olympic celebrants are flocking to Vancouver's downtown, especially Robson Street, seen here, prompting police to increase their presence. (CBC)

Vancouver Police say they and members of the Games' Integrated Security Unit plan to beef up their presence in downtown Vancouver as increasing numbers of people are being drawn to the area's Olympic celebrations.

"To manage the larger crowds, the Vancouver Police, with the support of Integrated Security Unit members, will be increasing the police presence in the downtown core in the days to come," Vancouver police spokesman Lindsey Houghton said in a news release.

Police said they also are concerned about the condition and activities of many people in those crowds.

"There were significant numbers of intoxicated people on the streets, many openly consuming liquor," Houghton said. "Police are encouraging people to enjoy the Olympic experience but do so responsibly and to leave the liquor at home."

Transit very busy

The unusually warm weather is drawing people from Greater Vancouver in unanticipated numbers.

The Lower Mainland's transit authority said the trend to higher volumes of people heading downtown was continuing early Saturday and that riders should expect lengthy delays.

"As of about 6:30 this morning, I was already seeing people standing coming in on Skytrain on the Expo Millennium line going into downtown Vancouver," TransLink spokesman Drew Snider told CBC News.

"That's not going to lighten up. It's going to build as the day goes on. Already Canada Line is running all 20 of its available trains."

BC Ferries traffic on a Saturday in February is usually not busy but the Olympics are changing that pattern.

The ferry corporation is reporting many parking areas are 100 per cent full at terminals on Vancouver Island and the Sunshine Coast, and walk-on passenger volumes headed for Vancouver are much higher than usual.