Editor:
Re: Surrey defends LRT plan, May 22.
Surrey Mayor Linda Hepner is defending a new LRT (light-rail transit) ‘business’ plan because there is no economic transportation case for the original plan.
A recent study of four LRT lines in the U.K. concluded LRT does not reduce congestion; it does not takes people out of cars but instead pulls current transit users out of buses.
With this in mind, Hepner puts out a new plan that touts taxpayer-bought jobs and the benefits of spending billions so real estate developers can prosper from taxpayer paid-for infrastructure.
Worse yet is the underestimate of the cost, quoting a $2.1-billion price tag for 27 km of LRT. The most recent LRT line just south of us in Portland cost over $157m/km (Cdn).
LRT is more about a fashion statement than a cost-effective transit option. Surrey can’t afford and doesn’t need this multi-billion-dollar Hepner legacy project, when much more cost-efficient options exist.
Steven Feldman, Surrey