[officedweller]

From the Now:

Light rail vs. SkyTrain expansion: Surrey transit a hot election issue
By Amy Reid, Surrey NOW
November 14, 2011

Read more: http://www.thenownewspaper.com/story...#ixzz1dujcSp7W

SURREY - Surrey and Langley mayors are commending Transportation Minister Blair Lekstrom for a letter indicating the provincial government is examining transportation issues south of the Fraser River.

In the letter, Lekstrom states, "We are examining the use of LRT (light rail train) as well as the potential for bus rapid transit and SkyTrain technology to provide frequent, fast and reliable service to communities south of the Fraser River."

He goes on to state that he is "committed to working with the City of Surrey and the communities south of the Fraser through this process."

Surrey Mayor Dianne Watts is confident Lekstrom will create an effective transit network.

"We have been pushing for increased provincial spending on transit in our cities for quite some time, to level the funding inequity both cities are currently experiencing," Watts said in a press release.

"This letter is both an acknowledgement of our issues and a sign that transportation in Surrey will be improving in the future."

Watts said the city has been advocating for light rail transit because it's an "effective and efficient form of transportation. It will allow us to shape our communities and connect our town centres, while at the same time increasing economic development in our city."

Surrey is exploring three light rail transit routes: 104th Avenue between 152nd Street and City Centre; City Centre to Newton, with an extension to South Surrey; and Fraser Highway between City Centre and Langley.

But independent council candidate Paul Griffin said SkyTrain expansion is what the city needs.

Griffin said the mayor's ground rail proposal is second rate, adding that it will create "traffic chaos" and will inconvenience users.

"Calgary tried it," Griffin said of light rail during an all-candidates meeting on Nov. 8. "They had so many accidents and so much traffic congestion that they determined that every future kilometre on their system would be raised," he said.

"We've got to start thinking not only about the people in the public transit system, but about the people who aren't planning to take the public transit system," Griffin added. "They are going to be greatly affected by a ground rail system."

Griffin also said that creating light rail and SkyTrain would cost nearly the same, but light rail could have more operating costs.

But earlier this year, in an interview with the Now, Jeffrey Busby, manager of infrastructure planning for TransLink, said SkyTrain comes at a very high cost.

"Our SkyTrain options range from $900 million for just a short extension all the way up to almost $2 billion," he told the Now in May.

"In terms of the per-kilometre cost of rapid transit, you can get much more of LRT (light rail transit) or BRT (bus rapid transit) for the same level of investment."

Coun. Judy Villeneuve is pro light rail.

"I think it really helps develop a community," Villeneuve said during the Nov. 8 all-candidates meeting.

"Public transportation is so important. Many people in the Lower Mainland move to Surrey because housing is more affordable. But the problem is that there's a real lack of transportation. People can't get around," Villeneuve said.

"The truth is 76 per cent of the people in Surrey commute by car to get to work in Surrey or outside of Surrey. And it's becoming very expensive for people to do that."

Surrey Civic Coalition council hopeful Grant Rice said transit expansion needs to start with rapid bus service on King George Boulevard.

"And we have to do something immediately," Rice said during the all-candidates meeting, pointing out students at Queen Elizabeth Secondary school often wait for two or three buses to come by before they can get on.

"There has to be linkages between our communities because the businesses that are on King George Boulevard need to be serviced. They need to have people get off the bus and do their shopping locally here in Whalley."

© Copyright (c) Surrey Now

Read more: http://www.thenownewspaper.com/story...#ixzz1dujUsJSI