Langley City has formally declared its preference for an extension of the SkyTrain Expo Line on Fraser Highway, from King George Station to a future Langley Centre Station.
With the public release of a resolution drafted in December of last year, Langley City Council has recognized the superiority of a SkyTrain-based system over an LRT, and has stated that they will continue to lobby TransLink and senior governments to secure additional funding required for a SkyTrain-based system. We are pleased to recognize a prominent fellow advocate for a SkyTrain extension on Fraser Highway.
Although Langley City is in support for a SkyTrain extension, it has also declared that it would be willing to accept a street-running light rail as proposed by the City of Surrey and TransLink, citing the current funding and planning circumstances. Its acceptance of a light rail system is subject to a number of conditions such as the inclusion of a park-and-ride at the terminus station, and the consideration of a maintenance facility within Langley City.
Our position is that a SkyTrain extension is the best and only feasible choice on Fraser Highway.
When the Fraser Highway B-Line is introduced in 2019, travel times are projected to be 40 minutes between Surrey Central and Langley Centre. SkyTrain would reduce this to 22 minutes; however, a street-running LRT would require up to 35 minutes, only a few minutes faster than the proposed B-Line, despite having 4 less stops. Extending SkyTrain is the only option that will significantly reduce travel times for Langley commuters.
We encourage our supporters in both Surrey and Langley to continue advocating for a SkyTrain extension on Fraser Highway, and to continue holding their decision-makers accountable.
