1. SURREY
RAPID TRANSIT
PROPOSAL
by Paul Hillsdon

2. PROPOSAL
• TheCity of Surrey launch, within the TransLink framework, a
P3-based innovative bus rapid transit network

3. RATIONALE
• Traffic
congestion is increasingly reducing the overall
economic, environmental, and social sustainability of Surrey,
• There is a lack of viable transport alternatives to the car in the
City,
• TransLink lacks the financial resources required to provide the
substantial transit expansion required,

4. RATIONALE
• Public-private
partnerships have, in some cases, proven their
capacity to provide a quality product, while reducing capital
cost to the public partner
• Buseshave a poor image and currently lack the brand
required to create a significant modal shift to transit, despite
modest service improvements

5. RATIONALE
• Bus rapid transit (BRT) has become recognized worldwide for
providing a level of service that will attract a major modal
shift, with low capital costs, and also build the ridership
required for rail systems

6. WHAT IS BRT?
• Frequent service - 5 mins @ peak, 10 @ day, 15 @ night
• Express service - stops only at major intersections
• Higher capacity - can use accordion or double decker buses
• Distinctive, high quality bus “stations”
• Real time arrival signs at stations and onboard
• Off board fare collection - speeds up boarding
• Priority on the road - queue jumpers, signal extension, etc.

7. BRT SUCCESS
NEW YORK SELECT BUS
• BRT with bus lanes
• 30% ridership increase
- 32,000/day
• 20% time savings
• 10% new riders
• 98% satisfied or very
satisfied

8. BRT SUCCESS
LA ORANGE LINE
• Full separated busway
• 30% ridership increase
- 27,000/day
• 17% new riders
• 14% previously drove
alone

9. BRT SUCCESS
LA METRO RAPID
• Frequent service on major
arterials with signal priority
• 38% average ridership
increase (Ventura
Corridor)
• 29%time savings (Ventura
Corridor)
• 33% new riders

10. BRT SUCCESS
VANCOUVER 99 B-LINE
• Ridership
was 30%
above projections in
1996
• Now serving 43,000/day
• 20% former drivers

11. BRT SUCCESS
VANCOUVER 98 B-LINE
• Ridership
went from
14,000/day in 2001 to
34,000/day in 2008
• 41% increased
ridership over route’s
lifespan
• 23% former drivers

12. BRT SUCCESS
YORK REGION VIVA
• Close to 1M residents
• 65% population growth
in 20 years
• Imminent gridlock!

13. BRT SUCCESS
YORK REGION VIVA
• P3model created with
Veolia Transport
• Goal to increase transit
ridership from 9% to 25%
• Developed 20 year, 3 phase
rapid transit plan

14. BRT SUCCESS
YORK REGION VIVA
• Phase1 - BRT lite -
launched September 2005
•5 viva lines with queue
jumpers, signal priority
• Modern vehicles with
WiFi, high back seats,
tables, onboard TV
• Top-notch marketing
campaign, high quality
customer relations

15. BRT SUCCESS
YORK REGION VIVA
• 34% increase in ridership -
25,000/day
• 80% public awareness of
system
• Phase2 to begin -
Rapidways + subway
extensions into York region
• Phase
3 - Conversion of
Rapidways to Light Rail

16. THE PROPOSAL
•7 BRT-lite routes across the
South Fraser region (Surrey,
North Delta, White Rock,
Langleys), based on the York
Region VIVA P3

17. LINES
• Red - King George and 104 Ave
• Blue - 152 St
• Purple - Fraser Highway
• Green - Scott Road and 72 Ave
• Orange - 64 Ave
• Pink - 200 St
• Yellow - 200 St and 24 Ave

18. HABITABLE AREA
ALR & Green Zone

19. EMPLOYMENT CENTRES
Commercial zones Industrial zones

20. 10 MIN WALKING ZONE
Major stations (blue) Minor stops (purple)

21. THE SURREY CONTEXT
• BRT on major arterials
• Regional system
• Connects all six town centres
• Opens up Crescent Beach
• Transit
for Grandview &
Campbell Heights

22. BRT-LITE?
• Buses operate in mixed traffic
with traffic signal priority and
queue jumpers where possible

23. COST ESTIMATE
•@ 0.32M/km (costs of Waterloo
iXpress, Halifax MetroLink, LA
Metro Rapid)
• 37.8Mtotal for 7 lines across 5
municipalities

24. EXPECTED RESULT
• New rapid transit access to hundreds of thousands
• Relatively small capital costs, reduced through P3 model
• 30% ridership increase (@10.9% as of 2006)
• About 20% riders will come from cars
• Reduced congestion, improved quality of life
• Competitive alternative to the car providing real choice