The City of Surrey is hoping to create better pedestrian interaction with local businesses with the ambitious $1.8 billion light rail transit (LRT) system it’s pitching to the federal government.
The city wants a slice of Ottawa’s $53 billion New Building Canada Plan pie, which is expected to be in place by March 31, to pay for a list of Surrey projects.
LRT tops that list and, if implemented as envisaged, would transform transportation in the fast-growing city, according to Jaime Boan, Surrey’s transportation manager.
Boan hopes to see LRT link City Centre with Newton, south Surrey, Guildford, Fleetwood and Langley.
“Our ideal would be that all of that would get implemented in the shorter term – probably five to seven years if we start tomorrow,” Boan said.
Surveys of developers and business owners have indicated a “high desire” for LRT, which is expected to increase density and stimulate growth, he said.
“We feel it’s important as these are corridors and locations where we want to see that densification and that growth, which is consistent with the regional growth strategy in terms of creating the higher densities in appropriate locations.”
And LRT promotes pedestrian interaction with adjacent businesses.
“Rather than having a SkyTrain that effectively divides and only has occasional stations with a node, the LRT is a station that’s right at grade: come off the sidewalk, go to the station in the middle of the road and away you go.
“So there is more community feel to it, which we think is the right solution for Surrey.”
There’s no commitment yet, however, on any federal, provincial or regional funding.
Tamim Raad, TransLink’s director of strategic planning and policy, said the Surrey Rapid Transit Study identified a shortlist of four rapid transit options, all of which could meet the long-term transportation needs of Surrey and surrounding communities.
Raad said they include rapid transit bus, light rail and SkyTrain, and TransLink has not yet identified a preferred option.
“Factors including cost, impact, affordability and other regional transportation needs will be considered. These alternatives will be advanced to the Regional Transportation Strategy in 2014 for consideration alongside other transportation needs and available funding,” Raad said.
B.C.’s Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure said in a statement that minister Todd Stone has been working with the Mayors’ Council on the proposal, but that any new funding options “will be taken to the voters through referendum.”
According to the ministry, defining the priorities for the regional system’s expansion will be primarily up to the council. It added that it is too early to speculate on funding for transit projects.
The other projects on the Surrey’s list for federal funding include the $35 million Highway 99/152 Street interchange and the $20 million replacement of the Serpentine-Nicomekl rivers dams that were built in the early 1900s. •
