MEDIA RELEASE
TransLink verifies majority support for Surrey-Langley SkyTrain
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – May 23, 2019 – Surrey, BC
SkyTrain for Surrey urges municipal governments across the region and provincial/federal governments to take note of overwhelming public support for the Surrey-Langley SkyTrain that has been verified in TransLink’s newest public engagement, with the “second greatest number of responses in the history of TransLink engagements” contributing to the high support numbers.
In this first stage of public consultation for both the Surrey-Langley SkyTrain as well as the 104 Ave and King George Blvd. corridors, TransLink collected 21,267 survey responses, with about 17,000 coming from residents in Surrey and Langley. In addition, more than 1,000 attendees were recorded at the four open houses. According to TransLink CEO Kevin Desmond, the only public engagement process that had garnered this many responses before was for a topic that affected the entire Metro Vancouver region.
Respondents were asked to rate their levels of support on a scale of 1-to-5, with 1 indicating ‘not supportive’ and 5 indicating ‘very supportive’. The following levels of support were recorded among the more than 21,000 respondents for the Surrey-Langley SkyTrain:
- Surrey/Langley Residents – 85% in support, 78% gave a rating of ‘5’ (very supportive)
- Rest of Metro Vancouver – 84% in support, 74% gave a rating of ‘5’ (very supportive)
In addition to the over 21,000 responses, a separate market research survey with over 1200 respondents verifies the support for SkyTrain, with the following levels of support recorded for the project as a continuous extension of the SkyTrain’s Expo Line:
- Surrey – 82% in favour
- City of Langley – 90% in favour
- Township of Langley – 92% in favour
- Rest of Metro Vancouver – 84% in favour
From a sample of additional comments, staff noted that while some support had persisted for a street-level Light Rail (LRT) system that SkyTrain for Surrey fought against, “there were far more comments about SkyTrain than LRT”. Common themes among those in support for SkyTrain pointed to SkyTrain’s speed and efficiency, tying-in of Surrey and Langley with the wider region, and SkyTrain’s value as a “longer term investment”.
The record participation and high support is an important call to the provincial and federal governments, as additional ‘phase 3’ funding will be required to build the full 16km extension to Langley City. $1.6 billion in ‘phase 2’ funding remains secured for the extension, with another $1.3 billion (estimated) funding required for the Surrey-Langley SkyTrain, pending refined cost estimates.
SkyTrain for Surrey started its initial advocacy efforts for the Surrey-Langley SkyTrain in 2012, after it was proposed as an alternative in TransLink’s Surrey Rapid Transit Study but rejected by the City of Surrey at that time. We are proud to have played a part getting the South-Fraser region on the right track with our advocacy for a SkyTrain project that is highly supported by the public.
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]
Stay updated with the Surrey-Langley SkyTrain project team!
Be sure to subscribe to TransLink's their mailing list (on the contacts page of the Surrey-Langley SkyTrain website) for official project updates! There is also now an official project email to get in touch with the planning team: [email protected].