Transit issues headlined numerous stories in 2016, whether it was roads, rail, or even bicycle lanes.
March’s federal budget included $460 million in promised transit funding, an amount seen as a good start by Langley City Mayor Ted Schaffer.
Part of the funding was to go towards planning for light rail, and a light rail line from Surrey to Langley City has long been one of TransLink’s priorities.
Another project that finally came to fruition in 2016 was a bus line for 208th Street, announced in April and up and running in the fall.
At the end of the year, TransLink announced the first part of its long-planned expansion, which included several new bus lines for Langley, but none were expected to start before the spring.
From the beginning of the year onward, Langley Township council was working a plan to revamp 16th Avenue.
The busy street has seen a large number of accidents, including fatalities.
It was the year that Langley Township compiled a report showing that busy 16th avenue had recorded 673 collisions, with 274 causing injuries or deaths, between 2008 and 2012.
The Township council voted to move ahead with a plan to add signal lights to four intersections in November, at 208th, 232nd, 240th, and 272nd Streets.
The plan also includes left turn bays and pullout bays where the RCMP can park cruisers to watch for speeders.
