IMMEDIATE RELEASE – November 30, 2016 – Surrey, BC
Our campaign team is pleased to learn that the Evergreen Extension of the Millennium Line to Coquitlam has been completed at between $70 and $85 million under budget, boosting the case for expanding the SkyTrain system to more areas throughout the Lower Mainland.
The news comes as SkyTrain for Surrey reiterates that a South-of-Fraser rapid transit project should be a Langley Extension of the Expo Line SkyTrain, not a street-level Light Rail.
Daryl Dela Cruz, our founding director, says:
“Today’s news that the Evergreen Extension is as much as $85 million under budget is a major boost to the case for continued expansion of SkyTrain in the Lower Mainland, starting with the Langley extension of the Expo Line.”
Opponents of expanding SkyTrain have claimed that it has cost the region too much money to build SkyTrain, and that it is time to pursue alternatives like ground-level Light Rail. Despite these claims, rapid transit in Metro Vancouver has expanded faster than in any other Canadian city.
In addition, previous SkyTrain expansions have been delivered with high cost-efficiency relative to other Canadian transit projects, including many Light Rail projects, a fact that was recently uncovered in an analysis by our campaign director Daryl Dela Cruz. Daryl’s data shows that SkyTrain is a financially feasible and cost-efficient option for new rail rapid transit.
See: Yes, the Evergreen Line was cost-efficient – Daryl’s Dialogue
As the Evergreen Extension opens for revenue service, South-Fraser commuters in Surrey and Langley are eagerly awaiting the next extension of SkyTrain from King George Station to Langley.
- The longest driverless rail system in the world
- The longest rail rapid transit system in Canada
- The most well-utilized non-heavy rail system in Canada and the U.S.
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 has called on decision-makers to build the Langley Extension of the SkyTrain Expo Line, in conjunction with an extension of the 96 B-Line to Coquitlam Centre and White Rock.
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]