Scrapping light rail in Surrey for an alternative is bad idea: transport group
Posted October 15, 2018 10:51 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
SURREY (NEWS 1130) — Progress could be delayed for many more years if some civic candidates opposed to light rail in Surrey get what they want.
The Better Transit and Transportation Coalition supports the ten-year plan developed by Metro Vancouver mayors, which includes light rail in Surrey. Chair Peter Ladner argues the money has been dedicated for the second phase of the plan, and starting over with another idea, say a SkyTrain line for Surrey, would likely delay progress in the city for another decade.
“However much you might like SkyTrain, it’s not on the plans, it hasn’t been approved, there is no money for it, and if Surrey were to decide to bail on light rail, the money that’s dedicated for Surrey would very likely go somewhere else, such as the line to UBC,” Ladner tells NEWS 1130.
He’s afraid that calls for LRT to be scrapped in favour of SkyTrain could delay progress by another decade.
“We think we should see this opportunity and work to improve other options in the future, but take advantage of what we have now in hand,” he adds.
Ladner adds while it’s none of his business to tell people in Surrey how to vote, he’s urging them to be realistic about promises being made. His message to voters:
“They should be realistic about the promises that are being made. If somebody’s promising a SkyTrain that can’t be financed and will be built a decade later than light rail, then they should weigh that into their decisions.”
