IMMEDIATE RELEASE -12th June, 2014
Regional Mayors are hailing a new regional transportation vision that “benefits all of Metro Vancouver”. However, the Surrey Light Rail Transit (LRT) proposal in the Mayors Council’s new transportation plan has a negative business case, which could result in Minister Todd Stone rejecting the new regional transportation plan.
The Surrey Rapid Transit Study, commissioned by TransLink, identified that the proposed LRT will generate only $1.1 billion in actual net transportation benefits on a $1.8 billion capital cost, plus operating costs. 96 B-Line passengers will save less than 5 minutes end-to-end, and will deal with construction impacts that will double or triple 96 B-Line travel times for up to 4 years of construction until the line is complete, especially on 104th Ave.
SkyTrain campaigners like Daryl Dela Cruz for Better Surrey Rapid Transit (skytrainforsurrey.org) have worked tirelessly to point out the flaws, and are disappointed by the now-finalized and approved Transportation Plan.
“A responsible transportation plan takes a serious look at not only the costs, but the benefits in travel time saved, flexibilities opened and communities revitalized. This new plan does none of those things for Surrey,” says Daryl.
Background
- LRT was first proposed by popular 2008 Council candidate Paul Hillsdon, who contended that several light rail lines could replace a single SkyTrain extension. Hillsdon used light rail capital cost numbers that omitted street-scaping and design costs and vastly underestimated the true cost of on-street rail.
- Mayor Watts officially rejected the SkyTrain proposal in 2011, making an unfounded claim that a SkyTrain expansion will “split up and destroy our community”. SkyTrain has attracted more than $20 billion in economic development in the past 10 years, has built vibrant communities in Surrey City Centre, Metrotown, Brentwood and Richmond, and studies find the system to be one of the best in the world in shaping urban communities and revitalizing slum areas.
- For the past several years, city staff, Council and a new community organization have been advertising the LRT proposal as the most practical solution for Surrey – despite studies that have indicated that a SkyTrain expansion to Langley with BRT to Newton and Guildford costs the same, suits demand, attracts twice the new ridership, and generates 3x the travel time savings and over 2x the total monetary benefits.
For additional information, please contact:
Daryl Dela Cruz, lead SkyTrain campaigner – Better Surrey Rapid Transit
Cell: (604) 329-8082; E-mail: [email protected]
Attached below: slides from a presentation to the Surrey Transportation and Infrastructure Committee in 2013
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About us
We advocate SkyTrain because evidence shows that the City of Surrey’s decision to plan at-grade rail and oppose elevated SkyTrain rapid transit was not based on legitimate facts, statistics, or logical reasons. It made absolutely no sense. Learn more: visit our website at skytrainforsurrey.org.
See pages on Better Surrey Rapid Transit website: Why SkyTrain | Why not LRT | Reality Checks