In response to the ongoing shortage of truck parking spaces in the City, Surrey City Council has approved a series of measures aimed at addressing this critical issue. During the Regular Council Meeting on Monday, Council approved license agreements with Prudential Transportation Ltd. for multiple sites, totaling approximately 150 truck parking spaces.
“Surrey has long had a lack of truck parking spaces, leading to various challenges such as bylaw infractions, safety concerns, and negative impacts on businesses and residents,” said Mayor Brenda Locke. “It is important to address this issue because I have often said trucking is our economy on wheels. Council has now taken concrete steps to resolve this by creating truck parking lots at four City-owned sites. With approximately 150 spots available, truck drivers will now finally be able to park their vehicle at the specially designated truck parking lots.”
The City of Surrey will lease the following City-owned sites to Prudential Transportation Ltd. on a temporary basis, specifically for truck parking purposes:
Site 1 – 13119, 13123 115A Avenue, 13132/34 115B Avenue and 11561 132 Street
Site 2 – 12875 112B Avenue
Site 3 – 17768 96 Avenue
Site 4 – 18949 52 Avenue
Prudential Transportation Ltd. was selected as the preferred operator based on their strong financial standing, experience in operating large truck parks, and commitment to prioritizing Surrey-based trucks for parking. The City will undertake initial capital investments to improve the sites for truck parking, while Prudential Transportation Ltd. will be responsible for maintenance and operational requirements.
The proposed 2024 – 2025 budget includes a one-time capital investment of $2 million to support this initiative, which will be recovered through license agreement fees and property taxes.
The Canadian Trucking Association of B.C. said the City of Surrey’s proposal for 150 new spaces in four “parking sites” will not make a meaningful dent in the shortage of truck parking in the city and will not have any meaningful impact on the situation.
Amit Kumar, president of the association, says, “The need for more than 2,000 spots in Surrey, and 5,000 spots in Metro Vancouver overall, will not be resolved by such a piecemeal approach. The city, Metro Vancouver and the province need to resolve this collectively on a larger priority basis.
“The issue has been left unresolved for more than 20 years and the planners and politicians have never shown any real intention to resolve this issue. They need to get this issue resolved in partnership with the industry before it is too late.”
