Edmonton LRT disaster is a warning for Surrey

SkyTrain for Surrey agrees with a National Post reporter that poor design choices on an Edmonton LRT project must be seen a warning sign for other Canadian cities, including Surrey.

The at-grade design of the new Metro Line LRT in Edmonton has caused major issues such as excessive traffic delays at crossings, and lower-than-promised service frequencies. Signalling system issues are also being blamed for traffic delays; but SkyTrain for Surrey directors have discovered that remedying that issue will reduce traffic delays 15-20% but not eliminate them.

Daryl Dela Cruz, campaign chair, said:

“Surrey’s proposed LRT system fails in the same key area as Edmonton’s Metro Line: it’s built at-grade through major intersections. If the City continues to ignore the issues and accept design drawbacks, we will end up with a disaster like in the City of Edmonton.”

SkyTrain for Surrey has identified 14 major issues with the proposed Surrey LRT system. Similar to Edmonton’s Metro Line, LRT will be slower than some existing buses; and studies have indicated that it will increase Surrey’s net carbon emissions rather than reduce them.