IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Mar 24, 2016 – Surrey, BC
It is disappointing that the 2016 federal budget has not provided enough funding to be able to begin construction on rapid transit in Surrey. With federal capital transit funds for Metro Vancouver not slated to flow until 2019, Light Rail in Surrey is not on track to have its construction started by a 2018 deadline, despite claims by Mayor Linda Hepner that the timeline hasn’t changed.
And, with the recent announcement that the budget for the proposed LRT has increased to $2.6 billion, while ridership is expected to be only 69,000 per day, Light Rail in Surrey has become the region’s most expensive transit project. A City representative has admitted that a major factor was rising land costs. We believe this was a direct result of choosing light rail technology and at-grade construction – At-grade LRT has the highest land requirements of any rapid transit alternative.
See also: Cost increase shows Light Rail was wrong decision for Surrey
It is clear that the City’s continued insistence on building Light Rail instead of SkyTrain has stymied the new federal government’s confidence in accelerating rapid transit in Surrey.
Daryl Dela Cruz, our founding director, said:
“Mayor Linda Hepner has thrown her support behind a technology that is volatile to major price increases like the one recently announced. We believe that this choice has stymied the government’s confidence in investing in Surrey.”
With over 1100 supporters having signed SkyTrain for Surrey’s online petition, and the City of Langley Mayor’s recent admission that he would prefer SkyTrain instead of Light Rail, it’s time for Mayor Hepner and the City of Surrey to consider switching the plan to more proven alternatives.
About SkyTrain for Surrey
SkyTrain for Surrey is a local grassroots organization calling for a SkyTrain and Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) network instead of the currently-proposed on-street Light Rail system in Surrey.
Our campaign directors: Daryl Dela Cruz (Surrey, chair), Benedic Dasalla (Surrey), Jacky Au (Surrey), Spencer Whitney (Langley)
For further information
Daryl Dela Cruz, Campaign Chair, Phone: +1 604 329 3529, E-mail: [email protected]