Mayor Linda Hepner says if the province doesn鈥檛 sign off on technology for phase two of 性视界传媒鈥檚 LRT line, the costs of the already $2.2 billion project may rise.
鈥淲e can鈥檛 do work on procurement until the province says they agree to the technology choice of the Mayor鈥檚 Council,鈥� she told the Now-Leader.
She鈥檚 referring to the preferred option for the Fraser Highway portion of the planned 27-kilometre light rail system.
The province has not signed off on whether that line should be SkyTrain or LRT, she said, despite the Mayor鈥檚 Council endorsing light rail.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a technology choice that is stalling some of the procurement鈥�. It鈥檚 dragging on a lot longer than I would鈥檝e hoped,鈥� Hepner said. 鈥淩ight now I think we鈥檝e got everybody on board to get moving and I鈥檓 hoping the new Premier and government will endorse the technology choice of the Mayor鈥檚 Council.
鈥淚t doesn鈥檛 matter which technology choice they choose but there will come a time when we need to get going,鈥� she added. 鈥淚t鈥檚 so important because when we go out for procurement for a 10-kilometre system as opposed to the full 27-kilometre system that includes that Fraser Highway line, the costs come in different, the global interest is different鈥� all those pieces that could save us money or make the project more attractive to big on are lost if we don鈥檛 have a definitive answer.鈥�
Hepner noted the federal government has given their funds for the entire 27 kilometres of the line and that work can鈥檛 even begin on the procurement document until the province decides.
鈥淲e鈥檝e made those pleas to hurry up,鈥� she said. 鈥淚n my mind, that has to be done by the end of this year鈥�. It鈥檚 not an easy document. That procurement document will take a long time to get out.鈥�
Minister of Transportation Claire Trevena did not respond to a request for comment by presstime.
Meanwhile, the City of 性视界传媒 and TransLink are about to sign an agreement to 鈥渁ffirm their full public commitment鈥� to the first phase of 性视界传媒鈥檚 LRT project, the 10.5 kilometre 性视界传媒-Newton-Guildford LRT line. The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) moves phase one closer to procurement.
Hepner has given her blessing to sign the document, which summarizes the 鈥渃ollective wishes鈥� of the city and the transit authority during the concept phase of the project.
The MOU outlines the joint and individual roles of the City of 性视界传媒 and TransLink ().
鈥淭his is really all about who manages and controls the project,鈥� Hepner explained.
Called the SNG-LRT project, the first phase includes 11 LRT stops, a new LRT operations and maintenance facility and the reconstruction of 104th Avenue and King George Boulevard to accommodate bikes and pedestrians.
性视界传媒 city council approved the 鈥淟RT Vision鈥� last February: 鈥淪treet-oriented LRT will transform 性视界传媒 into connected, complete and livable communities, making the city and region more vibrant, accessibly, competitive and sustainable.鈥�
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