性视界传媒 council has voted to enter into two LRT-related agreements with TransLink, as the first phase of the project moves toward procurement.

On Monday, city council gave its approval to sign a Supportive Policies Agreement (SPA) and a City Contribution Agreement (CCA) with the transit authority.

The CCA outlines how the city will contribute approximately $24.5 million dollars to the first phase of the project.

鈥淥urs is quite a modest sum,鈥� said Fraser Smith, 性视界传媒鈥檚 general manager of engineering, noting phase one is estimated to cost $1.65 billion for the 10.5-kilometre 性视界传媒-Newton-Guildford line, which will have 11 stops and take an estimated 27 minutes, from start to finish.

鈥淭his is our contribution towards helping that along,鈥� he added.

See also: 性视界传媒 light rail price tag hits $1.65 billion

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One of the major contributions by the city includes the release of city-owned lands in the Newton Town Centre to allow for re-alignment of 137th Street. Another contribution entails the use of city-owned properties on 144th Street for the construction of a LRT power substation.

The city has also committed to the acquisition of lands along Central Avenue to facilitate the construction of the street between City Parkway and King George Boulevard.

鈥淎nother substantial contribution by the city was realized by the city鈥檚 discharge of a significant number of statutory rights-of-way along the SNG corridor, thereby providing the necessary authorizations to enable TransLink to acquire the dedications of roadway for the construction of the project,鈥� a report to council notes.

The SPA, meantime, aims to 鈥減rovide certainty of intent from the city and TransLink by committing both parties to work towards achieving land use and transportation objectives鈥� and to 鈥渁cknowledge SNG LRT as a catalyst to meet multiple objectives in regional and local plans, including transportation demand management and increasing affordable housing supply.鈥�

鈥淭he city is interested in doing density along this corridor, and the city is interested in doing affordable housing as per policy. TransLink, of course, is interested in ridership,鈥� noted Smith.

A city report notes the SPA looks at the 鈥淪ix D鈥檚鈥� including destinations, density, diversity, distance, design and demand management.

See also: Some 性视界传媒 intersections may be safer with LRT: TransLink

See also: LRT protest planned in 性视界传媒

With these two agreements approved on the city鈥檚 end, Smith told the Now-Leader the final and 鈥渕ost important鈥� agreement is forthcoming.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 the Master Municipal Agreement,鈥� he explained. 鈥淭hat agreement will actually set down binding arrangements between TransLink and the City of 性视界传媒 about a lot of the intricacies of how the project will get built, and how it will be maintained and operated.鈥�

Smith said that could include things like the city鈥檚 responsibilities to manage snow and ice as well as traffic signals, and TransLink鈥檚 responsibilities in maintaining stops.

Smith anticipated the project鈥檚 investment plan could be completed by the end of this month, at which point it would be the time to put out a Request for Qualifications.

鈥淥ut of that list, there will be a short listed group,鈥� explained Smith, 鈥渁nd shortlisting that will take three to four months. Then TransLink will want to put out an RFP (Request for Proposals) to those three to four companies.

鈥淪o what we鈥檙e going to try to do is get the Master Municipal Agreement approved through TransLink and the Mayor鈥檚 Council, and our 性视界传媒 council and mayor, prior to the RFP (Request for Proposals) going out. That would likely be in the latter part of the fall.鈥�

Meantime, opposition to the project continues.

As the City of 性视界传媒 and TransLink held public open houses about the planned light rail project in the city recently, opponents 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 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.

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

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�

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.