SURREY 鈥� City council unveiled today an 鈥渆arly look鈥� of what a light rail car might look like in 性视界传媒.
Mayor Linda Hepner and several councillors hosted the showcase this morning at Central City Shopping Centre.
Quick tour of the LRT car showcase in this morning
鈥� 性视界传媒 Now-Leader (@性视界传媒NowLeader)
At the event, Hepner said the LRT car will be put on display throughout the city over the next nine weeks, including at the 性视界传媒 Children鈥檚 Festival and 性视界传媒鈥檚 Canada Day celebration in Cloverdale.
Hepner told the crowd that will attract LRT will attract businesses and affordable multi-family housing of all sizes.
鈥淚t鈥檚 really all about pairing people moving with city having and putting rapid transit at the heart of a community and creating vibrant neighbourhoods all along the route, not just at terminus stations,鈥� she added.
At the press conference, Hepner acknowledged the disruption that will be caused by LRT construction.
鈥淎nytime you have a significant transportation project you have significant disruption,鈥� she said. 鈥淚鈥檓 not going to stand here to say there鈥檚 not going to be growing pains.鈥�
Councillor Tom Gill, who is considering a mayoral run in the fall election, opened the media event on Wednesday.
鈥淟RT is a societal equalizer that provides access to all residents,鈥� he told reporters. 鈥淚t provides access for seniors, students, working class, business leaders. LRT provides a safe, reliable means of travel. LRT provides opportunities to live, work and play in our great city. LRT will revitalize and provide economic stimulation.鈥�
性视界传媒 Board of Trade CEO Anita Huberman also spoke at Wednesday morning鈥檚 showcase, saying the project will create job creation, attract investment, shape communities, and help bring 性视界传媒 to the next level.
鈥淲e have a new image, we have increased confidence, we have progressive policies at our local governments, we have connectivity,鈥� said Huberman. 鈥淪ometimes all it takes is a little imagination, sometimes simply a change in perspective through information and suddenly you can see a whole new horizon of possibilities.鈥�
Leaders of several other business groups also spoke in favour of LRT at Wednesday鈥檚 event, including Newton BIA and Downtown 性视界传媒 BIA.
Newton BIA鈥檚 director Philip Aguirre said LRT is going to further transform and revitalize that community鈥檚 town core.
Aguirre said LRT will 鈥渂ring everyone together, connected as one, instead of fragmented in different town centres.鈥�
Elizabeth Model of the Downtown 性视界传媒 BIA said as a world traveller, she鈥檚 ridden many LRT lines across the globe.
鈥淚 have never rented a vehicle in Europe, because this is the way to get around. Light rail will transform 性视界传媒,鈥� she told the crowd.
In a release, the City of 性视界传媒 said the demonstration LRT vehicle is only an example of the wide selection of light rail cars available for LRT projects. It says the actual light rail car for 性视界传媒鈥檚 phase one LRT project will be selected through an open and competitive procurement process.
Councillor Tom Gill, who is considering running for mayor, opens the speeches at LRT launch event.
鈥� 性视界传媒 Now-Leader (@性视界传媒NowLeader)
Mayor Linda Hepner speaking about LRT at demo event in
鈥� 性视界传媒 Now-Leader (@性视界传媒NowLeader)
On Monday, TransLink announced it will cost a total of $1.65 billion to roll out out the first phase of 性视界传媒 light rail by 2024. CEO Kevin Desmond said that costs for the 性视界传媒-Newton-Guildford line have gone up by 33 per cent ($410 million) since 2015.
When asked about the total costs of the rapid transit project, including phase two of project that will run along Fraser Highway to Langley, Hepner said: 鈥淓very single day we wait the cost goes up $1 million.
鈥淭he longer we wait, the higher the costs will go,鈥� she added.
Asked what she says to the still very vocal LRT opponents who call for SkyTrain instead, Hepner said, 鈥淚 hope their pockets are deep.鈥�
According to Hepner, expansion of the existing SkyTrain system wouldn鈥檛 shape a city, and there isn鈥檛 enough funding to construct it.
In response to Monday鈥檚 announcement, SkyTrain for 性视界传媒 founding director Daryl Dela Cruz called it the 鈥渨orst value rapid transit investment in Canada.鈥� Cruz called for the 鈥渋mmediate cancellation鈥� of light rail in 性视界传媒 and its removal from the Mayors鈥� Council 10-year-vision.
Cruz was among a small group of protesters at Wednesday鈥檚 event.
Save Hawthorne Park leader and leader protesting at LRT vehicle launch
鈥� 性视界传媒 Now-Leader (@性视界传媒NowLeader)
The LRT demo car will remain on display in the parking lot of Central City Shopping Centre until May 11 from noon to 6 p.m. daily. It will then move to the Newton Superstore parking lot from May 13 to 23, open from noon to 6 p.m. daily.
For two days, on May 25 and 26, it will be at Bear Creek Park for the 性视界传媒 International Children鈥檚 Festival, on Friday from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and from 10:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Saturday.
Next, it will be moved to 性视界传媒 Civic Plaza for May 28 to June 1, open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
On June 9 it will be at 性视界传媒 Operations Centre for the 性视界传媒 Doors Open event, open for tours from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., then from June 11 to 22 at Guildford Town Centre from noon to 6 p.m. dail.y
Finally, it will be open for tours from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. at 性视界传媒鈥檚 Canada Day celebration in Cloverdale July 1.
Meantime, procurement for the initial 性视界传媒-Newton-Guildford LRT line will begin in 2018, with construction to start in 2020 and trains expected to run between Newton, 性视界传媒 Centre and Guildford by 2024, despite 性视界传媒 Mayor Linda Hepner telling Black Press Media that the line could be operational by 2021.
The trains will run in their own separate lane that will be unaffected by traffic, but still have to obey stop signs and traffic signals.
It will take nine minutes to get from 性视界传媒 Centre to Guildford and 13 to get from Newton to 性视界传媒 Centre.
The $7.3-billion transit plan will also include a 性视界传媒 B-Line to run between Newton and 性视界传媒 Centre along Scott Road and expansion of bus service out to 68 Avenue and eastern Fraser Heights in 性视界传媒.
鈥� With files from Katya Slepian
amy.reid@surreynowleader.com
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