Decision on new Surrey SkyTrain could come Thursday

TransLink is recommending Metro Vancouver mayors approve a motion Thursday that would see the immediate start of a planning and design process for a new SkyTrain line in Surrey.

Surrey council voted earlier this month to scrap the LRT project that would have connected Surrey's Guildford, Whalley and Newton neighbourhoods.

TransLink's says it ended work on the projectthat would have connected those communities Nov. 6.

In its report to the Mayor's Council, it said it's likely a SkyTrain line between the King George station and Langley City would have to be constructed in two phases.

The line from Whalley to Langley along the Fraser Highway would cost about $2.9 billion, according to 2017 estimates from TransLink.

Translink says $1.58 billion is available from the LRT project and other funding options willhave to be considered to raise the rest.

LRT scrapped by new mayor

Surrey Mayor Doug McCallumranduring the October municipal electionon a promiseto scrap the LRT project and won handily.

A total of $70 million has already been paid by TransLinktoward theLRTline forplanning, project design, environmental assessments and consultations with First Nations.

TransLink's legislation requires the approval of any new capital project over $50 million be included in a 10-Year Investment Plan that is approved by the TransLink Board and Mayors' Council

The TransLink report also recommends that a Surrey to Langley SkyTrain business case be completed for the corridor as a whole.