UBC subway talk illustrates why rapid transit fails to advance south of the Fraser
One of the SkyTrains heads for King George Station, the final one on the Expo Line. It opened in 1994 and represents the final extension of rapid transit into Surrey. Stock photo by Alamy. The University of B.C. wants an extension of the SkyTrain Millennium line to come all the way to its Point Grey campus, and is prepared to help pay for it. The cost to extend the line from the current proposed end point of Arbutus Street in Vancouver could top $3 billion. While UBC’s concern for students is understandable, it is this type of thinking that has punished Surrey and other South Fraser residents for decades. Residents of the South Fraser area have endured substandard transit service, along with congested roads and bridges, with no significant transit improvements for more than two decades. Meanwhile, the population of the South Fraser region continues to grow at a rate far higher than the Burrard Peninsula. Residents need to let TransLink and local mayors know, in no uncertain te...