SkyTrain connection key to downtown plaza success
With the completion of the new City Hall in late 2013, Surrey will finally gain its first ever public square. With activation by the Library, City Hall, and 3 Civic Plaza, the square is arguably designed for success. However, it is still missing one key ingredient: a direct connection to the SkyTrain.
Most of the pedestrian flows in the downtown currently stem from traffic dispersing from Surrey Central station. The station currently has two exits – both pointed south-west. One directs traffic towards the entrance to the North Surrey Recreation Centre; the other puts commuters into the bus loop. From these two exits, pedestrians head south along one of three corridors towards Central City.
While this currently functions quite well as the SkyTrain facilitates southward movement of pedestrian towards the Central City anchor, with tens of millions of dollars worth of new infrastructure north of the station, pedestrians will need a new connection to access this area easily.
As it stands, pedestrians would have to walk around the Recreation Centre’s ‘superblock’ to access the public square and its facilities. While this may be reasonable if you already have a reason to go to City Hall or the Library, it is not conducive to more leisurely trips. If someone is looking to just relax at a plaza, they’ll choose Central City over the new public square.
This is troubling for the success of the public space. Due to its public nature, there is far more potential for events in this space over the private plaza of Central City. These events could suffer from poor attendance without the natural flows of commuter traffic and spontaneous stops from passers-by. The commuter traffic from the station is the reason the farmer’s market is far more successful in its current location in front of the Rec Centre over its original space in the parking lot across University Drive.
The only way to get some of that pedestrian traffic is to add a new northern entrance and exit to the Surrey Central SkyTrain station.
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How do you know this will happen?? it is not even finished yet lol you are just pulling a theory out of the air ……there are enough other things to spend money on than a new station a block away from the current one
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There is a fire escape at the North end of the platform. Many people use this during rush hour to catch the Langley buses that stop on that street.
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I think it is in the city’s plans to redevelop the lot that the rec centre is on, and if that’s true, then that might be when they add another connection to the station.
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I thought they plan on creating the new road behind the rec centre was to be used partly as a replacement for the current bus loop in front of the rec centre?
Cause if this really is the case then a new entrance on the far side will be required. -
I would imagine if and when the bus loop moves the entrance will be adjusted. Translink only really cares about movement of people from skytrain to bus and for the last 15 years or so there has been little need for northern outflow. I agree that it should be changed sooner than later but unfortunately I don’t think the fair gate construction change the entrances at all correct?
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oops, my bad
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So I am right. The city is looking at using the new road that will be behind the rec centre as a bus stop area.
The future plan actually does not call for a replacement of the bus loop with another one. The city is looking at using a more urban approach. They will be using the new road behind the rec centre as bus drop off zone. While the current bus loop area will be made into a new road and will be the bus pick up zone.
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