Surrey/Vancouver/Ottawa – It’s official and just in time for Municipal Elections, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced two major transit projects including the Surrey-Newton-Guildford light rail transit project as well as the start of the Millennium Line expansion to UBC.
Together, the federal government and the province are investing $3 billion in both Surrey’s LRT project and Vancouver’s Broadway subway project (this phase will end at Arbutus will the rest of the extension to UBC, to be completed at a later date)
While critics slam that this is just another re-announcement, this “official” announcement seems to put the final dagger to the SkyTrain plans for Surrey.
From the City of Vancouver Website: Construction for the Broadway Subway will begin in 2020 and is expected to be complete by 2025. Once complete, the Broadway Subway will bring fast, frequent and reliable SkyTrain service to one of the busiest destinations in the region.
On opening day, the Broadway Subway will be able to carry more than three times the current capacity of the 99 B-Line bus service. Travel time between VCC-Clark and Arbutus will take 10 minutes, and a passenger embarking at Lafarge Lake-Douglas Station will arrive at Arbutus in 46 minutes — one train, no transfers, no traffic congestion.
The feds will contribute $1.37 billion to the two projects, the province will kick in $1.82 billion and Translink, the City of Vancouver and the City of Surrey will contribute $1.23 billion.
The announcement was made at Surrey’s City Centre with Premier John Horgan, Surrey Mayor Linda Hepner and Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson.
FVN has reached out for comment from SkyTrain for Surrey – NOT LRT as well as the Surrey Board of Trade. Both responds after the video.
The entire Translink Announcement is below:
https://www.facebook.com/Translink/videos/1773278016071179/?t=1557
From Anita Huberman , Surrey Board of Trade:
On September 4, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Premier John Horgan announced more than $3 billion in federal and provincial funding for the Broadway Subway project, and the Surrey-Newton-Guildford Light Rail Transit (LRT) project.
Surrey Board of Trade’s CEO Anita Huberman was invited to the special announcement at SFU Surrey today and was recognized for the business organization’s steadfast support of LRT.
“Surrey will be the largest city in British Columbia. Surrey and the South Fraser Region has been severely underserved in transportation investments. These monies are committed to LRT and can’t be transferred to skytrain infrastructure. The Surrey Board of Trade Policy, through its Transportation Team, is that LRT is the only way to alleviate traffic and congestion, reduce carbon emissions, harness economic and cultural development activity, improving access to communities and businesses.”
“The Surrey Board of Trade’s goal is to ensure all 27 kilometres to Langley City are built. The City of Surrey’s recent light rail infrastructure plan to connect all of Surrey through LRT, beyond the 27 kilometres, will also enhance economic development activity.”
“In Surrey, LRT will boost economic activity. The Surrey Board of Trade has always lobbied for greater interconnection within the city, and the funding committed, with cheques on the way as announced today by both the Prime Minister and the Premier, was needed to get shovels in the ground,” reiterated Anita Huberman. “Improved transportation will allow residents to get around in the city on ground level, benefiting elderly individuals that cannot traverse stairs to platforms like the ones on skytrain stations.”
The Surrey-Newton-Guildford Light Rail Transit project (LRT) will create the first light-rail transit system in British Columbia, using smart city technology. With 11 new stations along 10.5 kilometres of street-level track, the LRT will provide much-needed transit services in underserved areas, connect and revitalize communities, and make it easier to travel across the Lower Mainland.
Not only will communities’ benefit, but job creation will also occur as this project will create thousands of middle-class jobs during construction.
“Bringing light rail to Surrey will transform the city, connect communities and make getting around the Lower Mainland faster and easier… Our government will continue to listen to communities, and make historic investments in the infrastructure they need, today and tomorrow,” said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
SkyTrain for Surrey – NOT LRT sent this response to FVN:
Today we are disappointed by decision makers at all 3 levels of government, who have announced their intent to continue with a street-level Surrey-Newton-Guildford light rail, despite objection from local residents.
Today’s announcement directs funds away from much-needed rapid transit projects that will offer more meaningful reductions in travel time (including a Surrey-Langley SkyTrain). Instead, a total of $1.65 billion will be spent on a project that will not reduce travel times over existing B-Line bus service.
Public input and previous due-diligence work was ignored in the selection of street-level light rail technology on all three proposed corridors.
As an example, TransLink’s Environmental and Socio-Economic Review Report for the SNG LRT project noted that the expected transit mode-share increase from building the LRT is just 0.6% (less than 1 per-cent). That means that only few more people will use transit compared to today – the automobile will continue to be Surrey’s dominant mode for transportation.
In July 2018, the City of Langley recognized SkyTrain as a superior technology and declared its preference for SkyTrain on Fraser Highway over a street-running light rail. Calls to extend SkyTrain have also won support from several candidates across 3 civic parties running in Surrey for the upcoming elections.
SkyTrain for Surrey has called for the cancellation of the Surrey-Newton-Guildford LRT project, in favour of the construction of Bus Rapid Transit for a fraction of the cost on King George Blvd. and 104th Avenue.
We will continue to advocate for the cancellation of the Surrey-Newton-Guildford LRT.
