Langley is inching towards a SkyTrain extension with the business plan for the project now being sent to federal and provincial governments.
The TransLink Mayors’ Council approved the business case on the full link to downtown Langley City on Thursday, Jan. 30.
Langley City notes that the business case found a high benefit-cost ratio of 1.24 for the project, meaning that it will provide wide economic benefits over a 30-year period.
“With the approval of the Business Case by the Mayors’ Council yesterday and our approval to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with TransLink for the Surrey-Langley SkyTrain project, Langley City is poised to work collaboratively with the federal and provincial governments, and with TransLink to secure the remaining $1.9 billion in the revised investment plan,” said City Mayor Val van den Broek.
Right now there is only enough committed funding to extend the SkyTrain line to Fleetwood in Surrey, around 166th Street.
Langley City officials are pushing for extra funding soon so that the entire line could be built at once, which would save costs, rather than being built in two phases.
In February, Langley Township Mayor Jack Froese will go with New Westminster Mayor Jonathan Coté, head of the Mayors’ Council, to Ottawa to press federal officials for funding.
During last fall’s federal election, members of all major parties supported funding SkyTrain, and local MPs, across party lines, are in favour of the project.
