As the City of 性视界传媒 and TransLink hold public open houses about the planned light rail project in the city, opponents have organized rallies near the events.
鈥淲e want to let people know that yes, there is a crowd of people that have spoken out in opposition of the LRT,鈥� said Daryl Dela Cruz with the SkyTrain for 性视界传媒 group that鈥檚 organizing the protests.
Dela Cruz said about 25 people gathered for a rally at 5 p.m. Tuesday (June 5) at the intersection of 88th Avenue and King George Boulevard, near an open house set for 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at 性视界传媒 Arts Centre up the street.
> More costly per-km than Evergreen Line
鈥� SkyTrain for 性视界传媒 (@SkyTrain4性视界传媒)
> Prone to delays, blockages, collisions
> Avg speed is only half as fast as SkyTrain
> Ultimate capacity only 27% of what Canada Line offers
Some facts | Learn more:
See also: 性视界传媒 LRT open houses planned
See also: All eyes on Newton as 性视界传媒 LRT plan rolls forward
鈥淲e notified the RCMP last week to let them know we鈥檇 have a presence at corners of the intersection,鈥� added Dela Cruz. 鈥淲e鈥檙e not going to be obstructing, we鈥檙e going to be peaceful. We want to raise awareness to people passing by. We want to grab the attention of drivers.鈥�
The group was also out protesting last Saturday, near Peoples Church which played host to another LRT open house that day, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
鈥淭his is the beginning,鈥� Dela Cruz said of the groups鈥� efforts.
SkyTrain for 性视界传媒 has been vocal in its ongoing opposition to the 性视界传媒 LRT project and the group鈥檚 has garnered more than 4,800 signatures so far.
Instead of LRT, SkyTrain for 性视界传媒 calls for the Expo Line to be extended to Langley on Fraser Highway, and a rapid bus system on King George and 104th Avenue.
They鈥檝e also called for the Mayors鈥� Council on Regional Transportation to pull the project from its 10-Year Vision for the region.
See also: SkyTrain for 性视界传媒 wants LRT pulled from Mayors鈥� Council plan
See also: VIDEOS: LRT car showcased for first time in 性视界传媒
Attend one of three upcoming open houses for the 性视界传媒-Newton-Guildford Light
鈥� City of 性视界传媒 (@Cityof性视界传媒)
Rail Transit Project to learn the results of the Environmental and Socio-economic Review. 馃棑锔�: May 31 | June 2 | June 5
For more details visit
The group says the more-than-$2-billion LRT project will be the 鈥渕ost expensive mistake in our region鈥檚 history.鈥�
鈥淪afety is part of our key concern,鈥� said Dela Cruz. 鈥淚t happens in other places with LRT systems. There鈥檚 a risk of collision when trains are crossing roadways. There鈥檚 also the potential this causes in delays in service in the event tracks are blocked or if there are break downs.
The project, said Dela Cruz, 鈥渂etrays the expectation of 性视界传媒 residents.鈥�
The group is waiting to see what happens with the civic elections this coming October. Dela Cruz is hopeful a big shake up in the regions鈥� mayors could change things.
In all, 性视界传媒鈥檚 planned LRT system would be 27-kilometres long, including the 10.5-kilometre 性视界传媒-Newton-Guildford (SNG) line, which would connect Newton to 性视界传媒 Central along King George Boulevard, and 性视界传媒 Central to Guildford along 104th Avenue.
In TransLink鈥檚 latest cost estimates, the SNG line alone is now expected to cost $1.65 billion alone.
See also: Some 性视界传媒 intersections may be safer with LRT: TransLink
See also: Simulation video animates LRT ride for 性视界传媒 passengers
鈥檚 project lead for LRT Stephan Mehr provides an update on the $1.65B 性视界传媒-Newton-Guildford line, ahead of public open houses.
鈥� 性视界传媒 Now-Leader (@性视界传媒NowLeader)
Last week, TransLink and the City of 性视界传媒 held a 鈥渢echnical briefing鈥� about the project.
Some of 性视界传媒鈥檚 intersections will work 鈥渕uch better鈥� after the 鈥渢ransformational鈥� light rail line is running, according to TransLink.
Stephan Mehr, who was introduced to the media at 性视界传媒 City Hall as TransLink鈥檚 project lead for the SNG line, said all of the intersections where 性视界传媒鈥檚 LRT line will run are being redesigned to incorporate a process called 鈥渃hannelizing,鈥� which is said to make turning 鈥渟afer.鈥�
Essentially, this involves upgrades so left turns are only permitted with a left-turn arrow.
The briefing also provided updates about the project, including changes to previous designs to keep more lanes along 104th Avenue.
TransLink says updated plans mean 70 per cent of the 104th Avenue route will maintain two lanes in each direction.
鈥淚n some cases we鈥檝e widened the lane to be safer, to have more room, to get around an incident. In others we鈥檝e looked very carefully鈥� for a solution where we are able to bring back two lanes in each direction for most of the corridor,鈥� said Mehr.
King George Boulevard, meantime, will be 鈥渕uch the same as it is today,鈥� said Mehr, with two lanes along the entire route, which when built connect 性视界传媒 Central to Newton Town Centre, just past 72nd Avenue.
In order to achieve four lanes along the corridor, HOV lanes are to go.
Despite ongoing opposition from some in the community, TransLink says there has been 鈥渃onstant鈥� for the 性视界传媒-Newton-Guildford LRT line, which will have 11 stops and take 27 minutes, from start to finish.
TransLink reports that in a survey last May, 67 per cent of respondents from 性视界传媒 who used transit in the previous 30 days considered the project 鈥渆xtremely鈥� or 鈥渧ery鈥� important.
A 2016 TransLink survey suggested 58 per cent of 性视界传媒 residents were likely to use the system, but Mehr said it鈥檚 now expected that ridership will be much higher.
鈥淏-Line bus ridership has grown considerably over the years,鈥� he noted. 鈥淚n the last couple of years, there鈥檚 been more than a 16 per cent increase. Ridership of B-Line is going to transfer over to the LRT line and increase in number of vehicles per hour or trains per hour, to a five-minute headway. That will make this service much more attractive. While that may sound like a figure that has a line to it, we believe it鈥檚 going to be much more than that.鈥�
TransLink anticipates that current ridership will triple once LRT it is operational and estimates that by 2045, it will see more than 70,000 daily boardings, with an estimated 31.5 million annual trips.
Mehr said right now, 75 per cent of transit trips in 性视界传媒 both begin and end in the city. The SNG line, he noted, will be a faster, more frequent, more reliable mode of transportation for those riders.
It鈥檚 anticipated that shovels will be in the ground for the first phase of 性视界传媒 LRT in 2019, and that it will be operational by 2024.
Have your say: Take an online survey, open to June 14, through the 性视界传媒 LRT website, .
See also: TransLink defends huge spike in cost of SkyTrain, light-rail projects
