SURREY —Prime Minister Justin Trudeau came to Vancouver this week, bearing billion dollar gifts to improve local transportation infrastructure, confirming federal government’s commitment to complete two big transportation projects around the region.
The feds are committing $1.37 billion to build the Broadway subway line in Vancouver and the Surrey-Newton-Guildford light rail project.
Trudeau says having spent some time at UBC, he knows how frustrating it can be to be stuck in traffic.
“The expansion of the Broadway line will add 5.7 km and six stations to the line,” the prime minister said about the new projects in Metro Vancouver. “These will include a stop at UBC’s Point Grey campus, which many students have been asking for years.”
Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson says transportation was one of the key election issues four years ago when he was seeking re-election.
“Having it come to fruition before the end of the term at the buzzer is particularly rewarding,” Robertson says, referring to the end of his tenure as mayor of Vancouver.
Surrey Mayor Linda Hepner is thanking Trudeau and Premier John Horgan for agreeing to a plan.
“We worked on this for a decade and until everybody came to the table and was prepared to have a real conversation with us, and with the Mayor’s Council, it was going nowhere,” Hepner added.
