SkyTrain for Surrey, not LRT!

DEBUNKING MYTHS

Fleetwood BIA SkyTrain renderings are misleading

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – September 29, 2018 – Surrey, BC

The Fleetwood Business Improvement Association are painting an incorrect picture of future SkyTrain with misleading renders of the future SkyTrain extension on Fraser Highway and a street-running LRT option.

Recent technical analysis completed by TransLink and Steer Davies Gleave/Hatch confirms that future SkyTrain would run predominantly on the side of the roadway, not in the centre as shown in their renders. Most stations would have a single ground-level entrance and would not require overpass mezzanines.

TransLink has released its own render (attached below) showing SkyTrain’s excellent integration with the local community with a ground-level station entrance.

As well, the renderings of what a street-level light rail would look like do not take into account the necessary widening to accommodate 4 lanes of road traffic AND 2 sets of tracks. As an example of the impacts, the CIBC bank in the BIA’s rendering would likely have to be demolished. TransLink estimated in 2012 that a light rail line would require over 150 property takes on Fraser Highway – 45 more than a SkyTrain extension.

The difference between these renderings and TransLink’s own renderings and information would suggest that the Fleetwood BIA has not done its due diligence on the design and technical analysis for SkyTrain.

TransLink/Hatch Preliminary Cost Estimate for SkyTrain (PDF)

About SkyTrain for Surrey

SkyTrain for Surrey is the community organization that advocated for the Surrey-Langley SkyTrain extension, and continues to push for high-quality rapid transit projects in Surrey and Langley. We began as a petition calling for the scrapping of a street-level LRT proposal, which eventually amassed more than 6,000 signatures, and later contributed to making SkyTrain an election issue as a registered third-party advertiser. SkyTrain for Surrey continues to call for high-quality projects that offer a positive return-on-investment and recognize the rapidly increasing demand for transit.

Media Contact:

Daryl Dela Cruz ​– Founder, SkyTrain for Surrey
Phone: +1 604 329 3529, [email protected]

Fleetwood BIA SkyTrain renderings are misleading