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B.C. expected to launch studies of Surrey, Vancouver SkyTrain extensions

BY KELLY SINOSKIDECEMBER 10, 2008 4:01 PM

Transportation Minister Kevin Falcon is expected to announce plans Thursday to launch studies for rapid transit lines to Surrey's Guildford area and the University of B.C.

The two projects — extensions of the Expo and Millennium SkyTrain lines — were originally announced earlier this year as part of a $14-billion transit and transportation plan for Metro Vancouver, expected to be completed by 2020.

The plan, billed in January as one of the biggest capital projects in B.C. history, called for $10.3 billion investment in four new rapid transit lines in Metro Vancouver, including $2 billion already committed to the Canada Line, $2.8 billion for the UBC extension down Vancouver's Broadway corridor, $1.4 billion for the Evergreen Line and $2 billion for the Surrey expansion.

The Surrey expansion will likely leave from the King George Station, travel along 104th Avenue, down 152nd Street to Fraser Highway and terminate at 168th Street.

Surrey Mayor Dianne Watts wouldn’t discuss the announcement Wednesday, saying she wasn’t sure what it involved.

However, she said Surrey would “embrace” the idea of an expansion of the SkyTrain system even though she has said she prefers the idea of light rail to SkyTrain because it would be cheaper.

Both the city and the province have initiated studies on light rail.

“That analysis has to be done throughout the whole system, look at its viability, and how we can capitalize on some of the lines we have in place,” she said, adding it should include both Surrey and Langley.

As part of the $14-billion plan, the province has also earmarked $1.2 billion for a new, high capacity RapidBus BC service along nine major routes in Kelowna, Victoria and Metro Vancouver and $1.6-billion investment in 1,500 new, clean energy buses and related maintenance infrastructure to provide communities around the province with improved bus service.

Following the SkyTrain announcement in Surrey tomorrow morning, Falcon is expected to announce plans to improve the bus system in Richmond.

The announcements come as TransLink faces a cash crunch by 2011. It is already $100 million short of what it needs to maintain and expand transit services in 2009. And unless it can boost revenues by $150 million annually by 2011, it could start axing services and infrastructure.