High public support for extending SkyTrain in Surrey
Contrary to claims by Light Rail supporters, there is high public support for extending SkyTrain in Surrey.
A November 2014 poll conducted by the popular website Vancity Buzz on a Surrey LRT-related article shows higher public support for SkyTrain than for an LRT system. The poll questions readers, “What kind of transit expansion does Surrey need?”. The results were…
- 54.13% of respondents support an extension of grade-separated SkyTrain
- Only 29.66% preferred a ground-level LRT
- 16.21% of respondents had different opinions.
1,659 votes were collected, and SkyTrain for Surrey is pleased with the clarity of the poll question as well as the clarity of the answer options. Additional details are written below.
Extending SkyTrain to Langley will create benefits like faster, more reliable service; no transfers to Vancouver and the most travel time benefits; and 72% higher ridership than LRT on the same route.
Along with Bus Rapid Transit on the “L Line” corridor, it would cost the same to build and less to operate.
Light Rail supporters citing non-existent survey
In a recent letter to a Surrey newspaper, Light Rail Links coalition chair Anita Huberman claimed that there is high support for LRT in Surrey, and cited a 2013 survey of city residents.
Anita Huberman of the Light Rail Links coalition said that:
Surrey residents want LRT. According to a 2013 survey, 80 per cent of Surrey residents support LRT and almost two-thirds say they would use at least one of the proposed LRT lines. The Mayors’ Council has also given unequivocal support to Surrey’s LRT project.
No such survey has ever been released by the Light Rail Links organization or the City of Surrey.
Poll results
The poll results were collected on Vancity Buzz’s article: Surrey light rail project passes first hurdle to secure federal funding
The question is clearly worded and offers respondents a chance to compare all of the potential options (rather than focusing on one while excluding any others). All answers are also clearly worded.
1,659 responses were collected, demonstrating a high reach rate towards respondents. The preceding article was neutral, and included both perspectives in favour of and against LRT.
(The results on the right were retrieved on December 27, 2015).
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This isn’t the only online media poll to have shown preference for SkyTrain South-of-the-Fraser.
24 Hours Newspaper attached a reader poll to a 2015 article titled “LRT 101: Surrey lays out its concept”. In that poll…
- 53% of respondents preferred a SkyTrain system
- Only 28% preferred Light Rail
- 19% of respondents preferred to drive their car.
In this case, the preceding article did not include an against-LRT perspective. Voters were free to choose as they wish with only the preceding pro-LRT perspective as their basis.
About SkyTrain for Surrey
SkyTrain for Surrey is the community organization that advocated for the Surrey-Langley SkyTrain extension (SLS). From our beginnings as a petition calling for the scrapping of a street-level LRT proposal, we grew into a community of like-minded folk, taking on various projects such as making SkyTrain an election issue in 2018 as a registered advocacy group. Today we are pushing for the construction of the SLS as well as the King George SkyTrain extension (KGS).
Media Contact:
Daryl Dela Cruz – Founder, SkyTrain for Surrey
Phone: +1 604 329 3529, [email protected]