engineering
Transport alternatives neglected in City budget
June 18, 2012 | Paul HillsdonEver wonder how much the City spends on transportation? While you may assume TransLink pulls the heavy lifting, the City plans to spend just over $700 million over the next decade on transport in Surrey. 94% of that money will … Read More
Tynehead Plan envisions condos, freeways, and financial shortfalls
October 15, 2010 | Paul Hillsdon
As we reported earlier in the year, the City and property owners are currently creating an ambitious development plan for the Tynehead neighbourhood, transforming it from a rural edge of Surrey to the centre of significant density and strip malls. Although the draft plan certainly incorporates more modern elements of so-called “sustainable” urban planning, such as natural stormwater management, agricultural buffer zones, and “placemaking”, it remains fundamentally urban sprawl. Worse yet, with a major funding shortfall for the infrastructure required, citizens may end up subsidizing this sprawl!
At full build out, this “Grandview North” is expected to have between 5000 to 8000 dwelling units, translating into 14,000 to 22,400 residents! That’s roughly proportional to the growth in East Clayton. Close to half of all residential developments will be four to six storey condo buildings, with the remainder as townhomes or so-called “cluster” housing. Naturally, the population growth will necessitate three new elementary schools, as well as a “future” community centre (typical Surrey eh?).
However, the fundamental key to making the car-oriented growth possible is the expansion of transportation routes. The highway adjacent location already made the area ideal for more big-box retail and office parks. But to accommodate all those new cars, the City is proposing several major pieces of road infrastructure, including:
- the construction of a new Hwy 1 interchange at 192 St
- a new, grade-separated interchange at 176 St and Golden Ears Way
- A new overpass connecting 93 Ave over 176 St
- A new overpass that crosses Golden Ears Way, paralleling Hwy 1
Just these four major structures are estimated to cost $101 million, of which only $34.5 million would be covered by standard Development Cost Charges.
Meanwhile, building the new road network for the area will cost $242 million, with only $142 million be covered by DCCs. That leaves the transportation bill with a funding gap of well over $100 million. Whoever says we don’t subsidize cars and sprawl needs to wake right up. In the meantime, we’re wondering how to pay for transit?
Cloverdale’s Main St in full bloom [pics]
June 19, 2009 | Paul Hillsdon
Cloverdale’s Main St upgrade is finally complete will the installation of hanging baskets along the lampposts. The baskets look fantastic and colourful.
In addition, I’ve included pictures of the three life sized public art carvings that were installed earlier in the spring. These statues were part of the Cultural Capital program of 2008.
More pictures are after the jump.
