Modern, street-level LRT is coming to Surrey and will connect communities in a vibrant and affordable way. It will bring together Surrey-Newton-Guildford in an integrated services that will bring a whole new way to commute within the city.
The funding at all levels of government has been approved and procurement is under way. Construction will start in 2020 and opening day is targeted for 2024.
The route runs 10.5km along 104th Avenue to City Centre and then down King George Boulevard. Eleven stops are planned, including 2 new transit exchanges. And, it will connect 3 of the largest town centres of Guildford, City Centre and Newton.
The fact is bus service will not keep pace with ridership. Surrey’s population continues grow with 400-thousand new residents over the next 25 years. It is expected LRT will meet the demand well into the future.
LRT runs in its own dedicated lane. The goal is to get people out of their cars for local trips―by providing fast, frequent and reliable transit. LRT will run every 5 minutes in peak hours helping to free up the street for those who have to drive. What’s more 76% of transit trips that start in Surrey will end in Surrey which highlights the need for better local connections.
More than 400 cities around the world use LRT. Its driver-operator follows the speed limit and LRT is accessible to all riders. Listen to the Pulse Mornings interview with Stephan Mehr, Translink’s Director of the Surrey-Newton-Guildford LRT Project to learn more.
Ian Power
@ianonair
ian@pulsefm.ca