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Surrey’s LRT proposal cuts Hawthorne Park in half

  • Media Release

A TASTE OF LRT REALITY — SkyTrain for Surrey has learned that a proposed city road project that will split a major city park in half is actually a critical component of the city’s proposed Light Rail Transit (LRT) on 104 Avenue.

City maps show that the two roads for the 105 Avenue connector project will cut through city parks and green spaces in Hawthorne Park. The City of Surrey describes this project as “important to ensure reliable and efficient access” in the local area, due to access restrictions on nearby 104 Avenue, where road capacity will be reduced from four lanes to two lanes to accommodate the street-running LRT.

In the recent past, LRT supporters—including our Mayor and Council—have pushed LRT on the basis that SkyTrain will “split the community in half”. Now they are pushing for an LRT that splits our parks in half and results in the destruction of hundreds of trees.

These LRT-related roadway expansion projects and their environmental impacts to city green spaces were not made clear to Surrey citizens and taxpayers during consultation for rapid transit. Surrey residents have also already witnessed the destruction of forest and green space in Green Timbers Forest for the 100 Avenue widening project, which was also identified as necessary for accommodating LRT on 104 Avenue.

In addition to projects related to 104 Avenue, Fraser Highway through Green Timbers will undergo a major widening to accommodate street-level LRT, making this the third instance in which green space is being compromised to accommodate the city’s LRT plans.

Little to no transit improvements from LRT

Furthermore, SkyTrain for Surrey reminds observers that the LRT line on 104 Avenue will:

  • Offer no improvements in travel time vs the 96 B-Line due to street-level running
  • Add transfers for riders connecting to/from destinations beyond Guildford
  • Increase travel times for commuters due to the cancellation of non-stop express buses (337 and 509)
  • Congest the entirety of Guildford and the surrounding area by reducing 104 Avenue’s capacity to 2 lanes

In what has historically been known as the “City of Parks”, LRT supporters have broken your trust with both their assault on our city parks and their misleading promotion of an outdated transit technology and a massive waste of taxpayers’ money.

Pictured in header: 100 Avenue construction during road widening for LRT

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]

Surrey’s LRT proposal cuts Hawthorne Park in half