SURREY FIRST RAPID TRANSIT PLATFORM
With a population of 510,000, Surrey is BC’s second-largest and fastest growing city, projected to surpass Vancouver in population by 2021. By 2041, Surrey is projected to grow by 50% to 750,000 larger than Vancouver is today.
However, Surrey only has 6km of rapid transit, or 8% of the region’s transit service.
A Light Rail Transit system would build transportation capacity for Surrey’s growing population with the capacity to move 20,000 people an hour, easing congestion with its dedicated lanes, reducing pollution with its electrically powered street-cars, connect communities south of the Fraser and create pedestrian-friendly neighbourhoods with new developments and businesses. LRT has the support of the Mayors’ Council of Regional Transportation as well as business groups, with 72% of developers saying in a recent survey that the presence of LRT would favourably influence their decision to invest in Surrey. Furthermore, studies have shown that office space near rapid transit had a 3% vacancy rate, while offices without access to rapid transit had a 25% vacancy rate. [1] LRT systems are already in place in Calgary and Edmonton and underway in Ottawa, Brampton-Mississauga, Kitchener-Waterloo, Hamilton and Toronto.
Surrey’s Rapid Transit Vision would be composed of three main components:
- Phase 1 – 10km L-Line which connects Surrey City Centre to Guildford in 10 minutes along 104 Ave and City Centre to Newton in 15 minutes along King George Boulevard.
- Phase 2 – 17km Surrey-Langley Line from Surrey City Centre to Fleetwood in 14 minutes, and Langley in in 27 minutes along Fraser Highway.
- The system would also include Bus Rapid Transit from Newton down to White Rock.
The capital cost of this system would be $2.2 billion, with a $39 million annual operating budget.
The LRT System would provide frequent and reliable service, arriving every 5-6 minutes, have more frequent stops more closely spaced allowing for greater connections to local businesses and community amenities with 195,000 additional people within walking distance to rapid transit. Being at ground level, it would ease use for seniors, young children, and those with wheelchairs and be integrated with Skytrain service at City Centre. By 2041, there would be a daily ridership of 166,000. [1] A Translink-funded study that compared 1,000 route and technology combinations and between Skytrain, LRT and rapid buses found that this model met the forecast 2041 demand on all three corridors, provided the greatest extent of rail transit service and is the most consistent with Surrey’s urban development aspirations. It also provided time savings in travel time, supported land use intensification as well as other benefits.
Complementing the LRT system is the new Traffic Management Centre at its nerve centre in City, which is the centre piece of the Intelligent Transportation System (ITS). Already in operation and the most advanced of its kind in Canada, it utilizes 250 Closed Circuit Television cameras (CCTV) to monitor traffic on city streets allowing for traffic flows to be adjusted in real-time by adjusting the 340 Surrey traffic lights. This will ensure that city streets are used to their capacity most efficiently and reducing unnecessary bottlenecks. Additionally, a new traffic interchange on Highway 99 and 152 nd Street will address a major traffic bottleneck.
A partnership with the UBC Engineering is developing predictive technology to monitor traffic incidents on Surrey streets to highlight where problem areas cluster. This will allow city engineering to proactively improve street safety, along with new technology the city is installing to monitor pedestrian traffic and adjust signal lights to ensure the safety of pedestrian crossing at intersections. This will be particularly helpful to seniors and those with disabilities who often cross at a different pace than the average resident.
FINANCING
Every year the City of Surrey contributes $144 million to Translink:
- $64,500,000 in TransLink fuel tax
- $39,800,000 in property tax
- $36,500,000 in fares
- $15,500,000 in federal gas tax
- $4,000,000 in Hydro levies
Despite this, Surrey has experienced zero expansion in rail rapid transit in the past two decades. In June 2014, Metro Vancouver approved a $7.5 billion, 10-year transit plan that includes the rapid transit vision for Surrey. However, this is dependent on the 2015 Metro Vancouver transportation referendum passing.
Surrey First recognizes that a Light Rail Transit system combined with expanded rapid buses is a no-fail mission for the residents of Surrey, and we cannot leave our future to the mercy of the referendum. While Surrey First is committed to lobbying on behalf of a positive referendum vote, contingency planning will be put in place to ensure that Surrey’s rapid transit vision happens one way or another.
In March 2014, the federal government launched the New Building Canada Fund, a $14 billion infrastructure program to finance programs of national and regional significance. To be eligible, projects must have broad public benefits and contribute to long-term economic growth and prosperity. Clearly, the Surrey Rapid Transit Vision meets this standard in the most compelling way possible, therefore Surrey First will begin work immediately after the election on a business case to be presented to the New Building Canada Fund. [1]
In addition, Surrey First will examine the opportunities to bring in private sector investors to help finance the project. The Waterloo and Edmonton Light Rail Transit programs were both P3 projects, bringing government and the private sector together in partnership, transferring much of the risk and financing over to the private sector, and proving that LRT in Canadian communities is a viable option. [2]
[1] http://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/plan/nbcf-nfcc-eng.html
[2] http://www.p3canada.ca/en/about-p3s/project-map/edmonton-light-rail-transit-system/
http://infrapppworld.com/2013/03/three-teams-shortlisted-for-waterloo-light-rail-p3-project.html
[1] http://www.translink.ca/en/Plans-and-Projects/Rapid-Transit-Projects/Surrey-Rapid-Transit-Study.aspx
[2] http://www.translink.ca/~/media/documents/plans_and_projects/rapid_transit_projects/srt/alternatives_evaluation/surrey_rapid_transit_study_ alternatives_analysis_findings.ashx