Watts takes shots at Broadway Corridor plans in Vancouver

SURREY (NEWS1130) – Surrey Mayor Dianne Watts is taking shots at Vancouver’s grand plan for a subway along the Broadway Corridor, suggesting it “is not going fly” with people living in her city.

With funding scarce, the political posturing over the region’s two biggest transit priorities had been kept to a minimum until Watts recently suggested Vancouver’s $2-billion-plus proposal should be scaled back.

But she insists she is not worried rapid transit along along Broadway will take priority over Surrey’s plans for light rail lines.

“There are needs throughout the region; you can’t really pick one over the other. You look at the Broadway Corridor and there are significant issues issues there, but it all comes down to funding,” she tells News1130 this morning.

“My point is that regardless of my plans or the plans of Vancouver, if the funding solution isn’t resolved, nobody’s getting anything.”

Watts has suggested project costs must be kept down until there’s a deal with the province on generating sustainable funding for TransLink.

Surrey wants three light rail lines through Guildford, toward White Rock and toward Langley, while Vancouver City Hall has identified an underground line to UBC as the best option to solve overcrowding on transit along the Broadway Corridor.

If it does come down to which city is the top priority for expanded rapid transit, commuters have offered News1130 mixed perspectives:

Sean says transit south of the Fraser is lacking. “If you live out in Langley, for example, and you’re working at Joe’s House of Beers in Vancouver and you get off at four in the morning… unless you want to drop $150 on a cab, how are you going to get home?”

“There’s most likely a greater population base along the Broadway Corridor; it’s huge,” counters Jay. “I actually think that would be a better use [of transit funding].”

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