IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Surrey, BC
The City of Surrey has rejected SkyTrain alternatives on Fraser Highway that take up less space, saving hundreds of trees in Green Timbers forest slated for destruction to widen the road for LRT.
In letters (see below) sent to the Green Timbers Heritage Society, our campaign manager Daryl Dela Cruz notes several faults in the city plan. Among these is the inclusion of drainage ditches on either side of Fraser, indicating a lack of design innovation as other roads through Green Timbers (i.e. 96th Ave) have no such ditches on the sides.
The City of Surrey has also failed to communicate a proposed widening of 100 Ave through Green Timbers. This will be needed to help offset loss of traffic lanes on 104 Ave for proposed Light Rail.
An elevated SkyTrain extension on Fraser Highway, which was an alternative examined in the Surrey Rapid Transit study, would have a smaller at-grade footprint than an LRT in its own lanes. SkyTrain uses space above the roadway, meaning less trees would need to be cut down.
SkyTrain on Fraser would fit within the maximum 27m width endorsed by the Green Timbers Urban Advisory Committee in 2008. (See Appendix A).
Combined with Bus Rapid Transit, a SkyTrain extension would remove more cars from Fraser Hwy. and other city roads, by providing faster, more reliable services that attract higher ridership. This would generate twice (2x) the transportation benefits of proposed Light Rail.
Better Surrey Rapid Transit (SkyTrain for Surrey) is the citizens’ campaign against ground-level LRT in Surrey. For an overview of an issues please see our new campaign video (linked on the right).
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For additional info, contact: Daryl Dela Cruz, Campaign Manager – Better Surrey Rapid Transit.
Email us at: [email protected]
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Appendix A – Diagrams
(graphics: Streetmix.net)
The currently proposed LRT right-of-way (R.O.W.) through Green Timbers:
Below: The original Surrey Rapid Transit Study assumes a ~27m total R.O.W. for SkyTrain on Fraser.
With more adjustments (i.e. multi-use path under guideway), the R.O.W. can be reduced to 24m.
Appendix B – Letter to Green Timbers Heritage Society
Read our letter to the Heritage Society now on our website at [OPEN HERE]
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