Federal budget does not list Surrey LRT among “ambitious” transit projects
- Media Release
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- For immediate release — March 23, 2017
The 2017 federal budget has not listed Surrey’s proposed LRT system among a list of “ambitious transit projects” expected to transform Canadian cities over the next decade. What’s worse is that this list was meant to highlight projects that would receive federal funding.
This list, however, did include the 6 km Broadway Extension of the Millennium Line SkyTrain in Vancouver.
The omission of the proposed Surrey LRT on the list (while the Broadway subway was included) makes it evident that Surrey is sufering for its choice to pursue a technically inferior transit project. Indeed, it’s now possible that Surrey has missed its turn to receive federal funding, while other projects and cities in Canada will receive billions of dollars for transit.
Unlike other LRT systems in Canada, the Surrey proposal is completely at street level and will run through dozens of major intersections. As a result, the project offers little travel time savings against existing buses, and is expected to see considerably less ridership than previous SkyTrain extensions in Metro Vancouver.
Today, more than 2,000 people have joined our call for the restoration of a plan to extend SkyTrain through Surrey and Langley, SkyTrain for Surrey opposes the current Light Rail Transit proposal, which will be the most expensive mistake in the region’s history.
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SkyTrain for Surrey is a BC-based community organization that has advocated for the expansion of the Vancouver SkyTrain system, including our successful advocacy for the under-construction Surrey Langley SkyTrain extension.
Media Contact: Daryl Dela Cruz – Founder, SkyTrain for Surrey ・ Phone: +1 604 329 3529, [email protected]
