If Translink's South of Fraser cities' street-car ("LRT") projects were substantially changed, or cancelled, the BC and federal govts' monies that have been “dedicated” to these projects would remain exactly where they are right now, available to be very rapidly dedicated to other purposes- “if” politicians exhibit sufficient willingness for this to happen…
Most of the BC and federal govts’ promised funds are just numbers on spreadsheets- not yet even received by the BC/ federal govts from taxpayers…with the remainder in interest-earning federal and provincial bank accounts, waiting to be disbursed on whatever projects that provincial and federal officials deem appropriate during the coming 5-years...
And, contrary to the inaccurate rumours that are being propagated by Translink an city of Surrey oficials- the BC and federal govts’ financial grants that have been "promised" to Translink to pay for its harebrained SOF street-car projects* are NOT contractually-owed to any private-sector or public-sector entities that would have roles in designing and building these projects...
... These “designated” funds are merely components of entirely change-able five-year BC/ Canada spending "plans"...
Surrey’s- and other South of Fraser cities'- residents and business owners should be directly asked- via referenda:
->>> What type of technology they want used for commuter rail lines that are built in Surrey and other South of Fraser cities:
B) 21st-century technology, automated (computer-driven), separated-from-roadway, LEGITIMATE rapid-transit lines ( same as SkyTrain (Bombardier), or Canada Line Hyundai))??
---------------------------------
* Surrey and Translink officials' "plans" for 150 Kilometres of street-car lines in South Of Fraser cities:
https://www.surrey.ca/bylawsandcouncillibrary/CR_2018-R161.pdf
Roderick Louis - 6 years ago
Part #2:
Translink’s South of Fraser commuter rail projects: Route of "Phase 1" should be amended, expanded to include Delta!!
At the city of Delta's Feb 26-2018 council meeting, a brief report was tabled re a high-rise development and rezoning application directly adjacent to Northwest Surrey (roughly 120th street and 94th Avenue)
https://delta.civicweb.net/filepro/documents/?preview=175821 - See Item Item F.10 or
Feb 26-2018 North Delta Reporter community newspaper article re the above referenced high-rise development applications:
https://www.northdeltareporter.com/news/new-north-delta-highrise-proposal-at-council-tonight/ :
"The project is the third 30-plus storey tower to be proposed for the Delta side of 120th.
"The 37-storey Delta Rise, at 120th Street and 80th Avenue, was completed in May of last year, bringing 317 new units of housing to the area.
"Another highrise is being considered for the north-west corner of 120th Street and 75A Avenue. The project, which includes a 35-storey highrise on the corner of 120th and 75A, plus 16 townhomes along 120th and 10 more bordering 119A Street, would add 294 units to the area."
The above, and associated issues are directly relevant to Translink’s proposed South of Fraser commuter rail projects- that, extraordinarily, do not include any rail lines along or adjacent to the ripe-for-development commercial thoroughfare of 120th Street (also known as Scott Road) in northwest Surrey/ north East Delta...
During the past 3 decades, Metro Vancouver’s “North of Fraser” cities have benefited immensely- in terms of economic development- from having a network of 4 legitimate rapid-transit lines (Expo, Millennium, Evergreen and Canada Lines) in the NOF area… enabling several- such as Burnaby, to build up huge ($1 billion +) reserve funds, while several of the booming in populations, long neglected South of Fraser cities have gone into debt…
MV's South of Fraser cities should not be denied the same opportunities as MV’s North Of Fraser cities to economically develop themselves- by establishing Densification and Economic Development Hubs that are linked by a network of legitimate rapid-transit lines…
=================
“(Burnaby’s) assistant director of current planning, Ed Kozak, explain why high-rise developments are being concentrated in four town centres linked by rapid transit: Metrotown, Brentwood, Edmonds, and Lougheed.
“’Part of our responsibility to the region is to allow more places for people to live,” Jordan says. “So those are the places where we have designated for high density: density around (rapid) transit, housing around transit.’”
New Westminster:
https://biv.com/article/2017/07/new-westminsters-rising-tower-power
“New Westminster council approved zoning for the largest tower the city has ever seen: Bosa Development’s 53-storey condominium skyscraper.
“The building is part of a project that will include a second 43-storey tower and a three-storey commercial building, all built on the New Westminster riverfront****”
https://pierwestbybosa.com/
**** Facing N Surrey & its decades-old outrageous eyesore mess of scrap metals dealers, junk yards, sawdust “mountai
Roderick Louis - 6 years ago
South of Fraser commuter rail projects: "Phase 1" route should be amended, expanded!!
Translink’s proposed SOF commuter rail projects, extraordinarily, do not include any lines along or adjacent to the ripe-for-development commercial thoroughfare of 120th Street (also known as Scott Road) in Northwest Surrey/ North East Delta...
A puny seven-mile-long line- entirely in Surrey (mostly along King George Boulevard and 104th Avenue); and
Phase 2:
A 12-mile-long line (from Surrey City Centre along the Fraser Highway to/ from the 2 Langleys) .
Phase 1 should be amended to include:
->>> A legitimate*** separated-from-roadway rapid transit line running directly west from Scott Road Station (in north west Surrey) along 120th Street (aka “Scott Road”) and then south along 120th Street (up the hill) past the areas where Delta’s current high-rise developments (and many others) are proposed and underway.... all the way to 64th Avenue, and then east along 64th Avenue to King George Boulevard, and then north along King George Boulevard to King George Station ... at Surrey City Centre....
*** IE: NOT using ,19th century human-driven, in-middle-of-roadway STREET CAR (“LRT”) technology, and instead using: automated (computer-driven), separated from roadway, SkyTrain-like technologies…
Technologies that are chosen for use by the South of Fraser commuter rail projects should result in SOF cities receiving commuter rail that is as good as, or better than, the city of Vancouver's and "North of Fraser" cities' 5 LEGITIMATE rapid-transit lines (Expo Line, Millennium Line, Evergreen Line, and Canada Line... AND the “West Coast Express” heavy rail line…
AND... All planning for and activities related to South of Fraser commuter rail projects- especially "Phase 1”, referenced above- should be immediately halted… until the rapid-transit needs of Delta's current and future residents and business owners have been considered- and written into these plans...
"(Surrey First's" autocratic leader, Tom) Gill said in a statement:
"... Political differences are one thing, but when you can’t count on someone to do the right thing for our city it hurts us all."
----------------------
Tom Gill:
“Do the right thing”, and commit to (if elected) ensuring that Surrey’s- and other South of Fraser cities'- residents and business owners are directly asked- via referenda- what type of technology they want used for commuter rail lines that are built in Surrey and other South of Fraser cities:
a) 19th century-technology, human-driven, SLOW, streetcar (“LRT”) lines?? or
b) Legitimate rapid-transit (SkyTrain-like) technologies... IE: automated (computer-driven), separated-from-roadway, RAPID...
Tom Gill:
Your preposterous assertions that somehow the BC and federal govts’ committed grant funding for South of Fraser cities’ commuter rail line projects would somehow “disappear” if there was a decision by Translink/ SOF cities to build legitimate rapid-transit lines in SOF cities, instead of building Gill’s/Surrey First’s FAKE rapid-transit street-car lines… will be seen through by voters!!
If Translink's South of Fraser cities' street-car ("LRT") projects were substantially changed, or cancelled, the BC and federal govts' monies that have been “dedicated” to these projects would remain exactly where they are right now, available to be very rapidly dedicated to other purposes- “if” politicians exhibit sufficient willingness for this to happen…
Most of the BC and federal govts’ promised funds are just numbers on spreadsheets- not yet even received by the BC/ federal govts from taxpayers…with the remainder in interest-earning federal and provincial bank accounts, waiting to be disbursed on whatever projects that provincial and federal officials deem appropriate during the coming 5-years...
And, contrary to the inaccurate rumours that are being propagated by Translink an city of Surrey oficials- the BC and federal govts’ financial grants that have been "promised" to Translink to pay for its harebrained SOF street-car projects* are NOT contractually-owed to any private-sector or public-sector entities that would have roles in designing and building these projects...
... These “designated” funds are merely components of entirely change-able five-year BC/ Canada spending "plans"...
Surrey’s- and other South of Fraser cities'- residents and business owners should be directly asked- via referenda:
->>> What type of technology they want used for commuter rail lines that are built in Surrey and other South of Fraser cities:
A) 19th century-technology, human-driven, in-middle-of-roadway, SLOW, FAKE rapid-transit street-car (“LRT”) lines??
or
B) 21st-century technology, automated (computer-driven), separated-from-roadway, LEGITIMATE rapid-transit lines ( same as SkyTrain (Bombardier), or Canada Line Hyundai))??
---------------------------------
* Surrey and Translink officials' "plans" for 150 Kilometres of street-car lines in South Of Fraser cities:
https://www.surrey.ca/bylawsandcouncillibrary/CR_2018-R161.pdf
Part #2:
Translink’s South of Fraser commuter rail projects: Route of "Phase 1" should be amended, expanded to include Delta!!
At the city of Delta's Feb 26-2018 council meeting, a brief report was tabled re a high-rise development and rezoning application directly adjacent to Northwest Surrey (roughly 120th street and 94th Avenue)
https://delta.civicweb.net/filepro/documents/?preview=175821 - See Item Item F.10 or
https://delta.civicweb.net/document/175846 (7-pages)
Feb 26-2018 North Delta Reporter community newspaper article re the above referenced high-rise development applications:
https://www.northdeltareporter.com/news/new-north-delta-highrise-proposal-at-council-tonight/ :
"The project is the third 30-plus storey tower to be proposed for the Delta side of 120th.
"The 37-storey Delta Rise, at 120th Street and 80th Avenue, was completed in May of last year, bringing 317 new units of housing to the area.
"Another highrise is being considered for the north-west corner of 120th Street and 75A Avenue. The project, which includes a 35-storey highrise on the corner of 120th and 75A, plus 16 townhomes along 120th and 10 more bordering 119A Street, would add 294 units to the area."
The above, and associated issues are directly relevant to Translink’s proposed South of Fraser commuter rail projects- that, extraordinarily, do not include any rail lines along or adjacent to the ripe-for-development commercial thoroughfare of 120th Street (also known as Scott Road) in northwest Surrey/ north East Delta...
During the past 3 decades, Metro Vancouver’s “North of Fraser” cities have benefited immensely- in terms of economic development- from having a network of 4 legitimate rapid-transit lines (Expo, Millennium, Evergreen and Canada Lines) in the NOF area… enabling several- such as Burnaby, to build up huge ($1 billion +) reserve funds, while several of the booming in populations, long neglected South of Fraser cities have gone into debt…
MV's South of Fraser cities should not be denied the same opportunities as MV’s North Of Fraser cities to economically develop themselves- by establishing Densification and Economic Development Hubs that are linked by a network of legitimate rapid-transit lines…
=================
References:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/what-will-or-should-burnaby-do-with-its-1b-reserve-fund-1.4253774
“(Burnaby) has accumulated more than $1 billion in reserve funding… by cashing in on the recent development boom in the region.
“Community benefits, much of it in the form of cash, have been coughed up by developers in exchange for building homes with more density”
https://www.burnabynow.com/news/burnaby-s-257-million-surplus-more-than-double-projected-for-2017-1.23298921
https://www.burnaby.ca/Assets/our+city+hall/financial+reports/2017+-+2021+Financial+Plan.pdf
2013:
https://www.straight.com/life/354186/towers-rise-burnaby-all-according-plan
“(Burnaby’s) assistant director of current planning, Ed Kozak, explain why high-rise developments are being concentrated in four town centres linked by rapid transit: Metrotown, Brentwood, Edmonds, and Lougheed.
“’Part of our responsibility to the region is to allow more places for people to live,” Jordan says. “So those are the places where we have designated for high density: density around (rapid) transit, housing around transit.’”
New Westminster:
https://biv.com/article/2017/07/new-westminsters-rising-tower-power
“New Westminster council approved zoning for the largest tower the city has ever seen: Bosa Development’s 53-storey condominium skyscraper.
“The building is part of a project that will include a second 43-storey tower and a three-storey commercial building, all built on the New Westminster riverfront****”
https://pierwestbybosa.com/
**** Facing N Surrey & its decades-old outrageous eyesore mess of scrap metals dealers, junk yards, sawdust “mountai
South of Fraser commuter rail projects: "Phase 1" route should be amended, expanded!!
Translink’s proposed SOF commuter rail projects, extraordinarily, do not include any lines along or adjacent to the ripe-for-development commercial thoroughfare of 120th Street (also known as Scott Road) in Northwest Surrey/ North East Delta...
Currently, Translink’s proposed projects consist of:
Phase 1:
A puny seven-mile-long line- entirely in Surrey (mostly along King George Boulevard and 104th Avenue); and
Phase 2:
A 12-mile-long line (from Surrey City Centre along the Fraser Highway to/ from the 2 Langleys) .
Phase 1 should be amended to include:
->>> A legitimate*** separated-from-roadway rapid transit line running directly west from Scott Road Station (in north west Surrey) along 120th Street (aka “Scott Road”) and then south along 120th Street (up the hill) past the areas where Delta’s current high-rise developments (and many others) are proposed and underway.... all the way to 64th Avenue, and then east along 64th Avenue to King George Boulevard, and then north along King George Boulevard to King George Station ... at Surrey City Centre....
https://www.google.ca/maps/place/12515+110+Ave,+Surrey,+BC+V3V+3J8/@49.2047768,-122.8828745,2018m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x5485d82280fc48bd:0xde7f46d4a3e72be3!8m2!3d49.2034258!4d-122.8747211
*** IE: NOT using ,19th century human-driven, in-middle-of-roadway STREET CAR (“LRT”) technology, and instead using: automated (computer-driven), separated from roadway, SkyTrain-like technologies…
Technologies that are chosen for use by the South of Fraser commuter rail projects should result in SOF cities receiving commuter rail that is as good as, or better than, the city of Vancouver's and "North of Fraser" cities' 5 LEGITIMATE rapid-transit lines (Expo Line, Millennium Line, Evergreen Line, and Canada Line... AND the “West Coast Express” heavy rail line…
AND... All planning for and activities related to South of Fraser commuter rail projects- especially "Phase 1”, referenced above- should be immediately halted… until the rapid-transit needs of Delta's current and future residents and business owners have been considered- and written into these plans...
https://www.voiceonline.com/surrey-first-mayoral-candidate-tom-gill-slams-doug-mccallum-and-bruce-hayne-for-flip-flopping-on-lrt/
"(Surrey First's" autocratic leader, Tom) Gill said in a statement:
"... Political differences are one thing, but when you can’t count on someone to do the right thing for our city it hurts us all."
----------------------
Tom Gill:
“Do the right thing”, and commit to (if elected) ensuring that Surrey’s- and other South of Fraser cities'- residents and business owners are directly asked- via referenda- what type of technology they want used for commuter rail lines that are built in Surrey and other South of Fraser cities:
a) 19th century-technology, human-driven, SLOW, streetcar (“LRT”) lines?? or
b) Legitimate rapid-transit (SkyTrain-like) technologies... IE: automated (computer-driven), separated-from-roadway, RAPID...
Tom Gill:
Your preposterous assertions that somehow the BC and federal govts’ committed grant funding for South of Fraser cities’ commuter rail line projects would somehow “disappear” if there was a decision by Translink/ SOF cities to build legitimate rapid-transit lines in SOF cities, instead of building Gill’s/Surrey First’s FAKE rapid-transit street-car lines… will be seen through by voters!!