A flurry of media stories about a $4.5-million expansion to the South Surrey Park-and-Ride lot, which has gone virtually unused since pay parking was introduced, will have no effect on current policy, a TransLink spokesperson said.
“We are not considering changes at this time,” Sany Zein told told Peace Arch News last week.
The director of infrastructure management and engineering said usage of the bus loop’s lot – at King George Boulevard and Highway 99 – is being monitored, and suggested public demand will eventually overtake initial resistance to the $2 parking fee.
“(We’re) taking into consideration the fact that usage patterns take some time to settle down after the introduction of pay parking,” Zein said. “As pay parking has only been in effect for a short time, it is still too early to identify trends.”
The provincial government picked up the tab for the expansion of the park-and-ride – maintained and operated by TransLink – which opened in November.
The parking fee was introduced at the same time and, since then, the lot’s pay stations have been stolen at least three times, the lots have been largely empty and neighbours have complained of an increase of parking on nearby residential streets.
Zein said pay parking is policy for all of the TransLink-managed park-and-rides, and is intended to recover operational costs of the facilities.
The partnership between the province and TransLInk to provide the expanded South Surrey park and ride, he said, is part of a plan to “better serve existing and future transit passengers.”
“Park and ride lots make it easier for people to connect to the transit network, which in turn makes transit a more viable choice,” Zein added.
“As population and demand for transportation choices increases, facilities like the South Surrey Park and Ride will be an important element in the delivery of a reliable public transportation network.”
