It has been awhile since I last posted. With memories of the Olympics frenzy starting to dim, normal life has resumed although things seem a little  busier than usual.

Last night we attended a stakeholder Meeting hosted by Translink at the Cloverale Business Association. Translink is in the preliminary stages of a study assessing Rapid Transit needs in the Surrey/Langley area. (FYI, it seems that the meeting information for the upcoming stakeholder/public meetings has been moved on their website above.)

The purpose of the meeting was to outline the study, provide a definition of Rapid Transit, and, I assume, get preliminary feedback from local stakeholders (who they identify as organizations within Surrey/Langley, not the public at this stage). Of course, there was a good deal of feedback provided on what currently does not work and work in general with public transit in the area. Translink was looking for high-level data points on what users want in a transit system (accessibility, convenience, connectability). Missing from the meeting was really any clear indication of what Translink’s overall objectives are with Rapid Transit. (I guessing because there is no clear picture of this yet.) For example, objectives could be to effectively move people around the Lower Mainland (e.g., commuters), get people out of cars, or get people from hub to hub within the Surrey area.

Here are some takeaways:

• There are significant challenges for those who cannot travel by car both within Surrey/Langley and to points outside. In particular commuters and seniors
• Transit needs to accessible to those with limited mobility and cyclists
• There needs to be better ways to get to major transit hubs
• There are existing misconceptions about how long it takes to travel from Surrey/Langley to Vancouver
• Better transit could improve Surrey’s business infrastructure (more customers, more potential employees)
• Cross-border transit options are desirable for this part of the community