Dozens of residents turned out to see plans for future rapid transit from Surrey to Langley City at the first in a series of TransLink open houses Thursday.
Held at Langley City Hall from 3 to 8 p.m., the event offered people a chance to talk to municipal and TransLink staff and to raise issues about the possible impacts of a planned SkyTrain line.
The TransLink Mayors’ Council is planning for a SkyTrain line, but there isn’t currently enough funding to complete the line all the way to Langley.
“We’re really supportive of having light rapid transit throughout the community,” said Margaret Cadwaladr.
“We take transit now into Vancouver,” said her husband Jim. “Something like this would make a huge difference.”
The couple is also supportive of an LRT option compared to SkyTrain, having seen a variety of transit systems in other parts of the world, they said.
“Quicker to install,” noted Jim.
Other residents were just as supportive of SkyTrain, with several people noting that it didn’t impact traffic on local roads. LRT lines run at ground level.
A number of people came hoping to learn where the SkyTrain stations are planned, but exact locations have not yet been determined.
There are likely to be two stations in Langley, according to previous comments from local leaders, with one in the vicinity of the Willowbrook Shopping Centre, and another somewhere in the downtown core of Langley City.
Visitors to the project could offer feedback in a number of ways, including putting stickers next to their priorities on boards, and leaving notes on Post-Its on a large map showing the planned future rapid transit route down Fraser Highway.
Other transit enhancements, including B-Line bus service, were also discussed.
Much of the work this year is expected to be on planning the project.
Through the first half of 2019, TransLink plans to do concept planning, create a business case, do cost estimates, and create environmental and socio-economic reviews of the project.
Input from open houses like Thursday’s and from the public in general will be going back to the Mayors’ Council by this summer.