IT'S OFFICIAL: Yesterday, the Regional Mayors' Council endorsed a TransLink staff motion to proceed immediately with planning and project development on a Fraser Highway SkyTrain extension, with the goal of eventually completing the full 16 kilometres from King George Station in Surrey to Downtown Langley.
This is what we've fought for, and this is what we've won!
TransLink's work plan for the SkyTrain project is targeting a start-of-service date in 2025. This timeline accounts for 13 to 15 months of initial project development (including design and engineering, public consultation, environmental reviews, and business case work); another 15 months for the full procurement process; and approximately 48 months for the line's construction.
A 2025 opening means that Fraser Highway commuters will be able to start utilizing an expanded rapid transit system 4 years *earlier* than if Surrey's previous plan for an LRT under the previous Mayor and Council had proceeded. And this system extension will deliver REAL and TANGIBLE improvements. It will be connected to existing SkyTrain, improving your access not only to Surrey's City Centre but also the rest of Metro Vancouver. It will be elevated and separated from ground-level traffic, offering faster travel times, and the service will be reliable--it will run 96% on time, all the time!
TransLink's work plan also accommodates for the needs of the King George Boulevard & 104 Ave corridor, with the immediate delivery of an upgraded B-Line service that meets the Bus Rapid Transit "lite" standard. Riders on the 96 B-Line will experience an increase in service, an improved rider experience with next-bus displays and recognizable B-Line shelters, and an improved quality and reliability of service with traffic signal priority and more dedicated bus lanes. There will be funding available in the 10-Year-Vision's Phase 3 to deliver further rapid transit improvements on these corridors.
With the support of all project delivery partners—including commitments from the provincial and federal governments to retain the 10-Year-Vision Phase 2 funding for SkyTrain—our campaign for SkyTrain has reached its conclusion. Beyond advocacy work down the road to ensure Phase 3 funding is captured to deliver the full 16 kilometres of SkyTrain to Langley, there is nothing else we need to do to ensure the system we have been pushing for will become a reality.
As such, we are pleased to announce the CONCLUSION of a campaign that has been ongoing for the past 5 years--one that was successful in sending a message that South-of-Fraser cities deserve a rapid transit system that delivers a quality of service comparable with that which other cities in our region get.
Although this petition will be CLOSED, the SkyTrain for Surrey website at skytrainforsurrey.org will remain OPEN and our campaign director (Daryl Dela Cruz) will stay on board in case there is an opportunity to advocate for further SkyTrain expansion in Surrey and the Fraser Valley down the road. We may post updates from time to time.
You are encouraged to keep in touch with us by email (info@skytrainforsurrey.org) or by joining our Facebook discussion group at "Light Rail is NOT for Surrey" (https://www.facebook.com/groups/nolrt4surrey/).
From the moment we took our first signature on this petition in April of 2013, this campaign has been about YOU--the people of Surrey anD Langley, who deserve a rapid transit system that delivers real and tangible improvements and the best value for money possible. In closing, we want to recognize YOU--the supporter community--who have given us the momentum needed to make this happen. We are incredibly grateful to all of you for the support that you have lent to this campaign over the years and, with our sincerest gratitude, thank you for being with us every step of the way.
We hope you will be riding SkyTrain with us in Surrey and Langley in the future!