A Fresh Voice for Surrey

SCC reacts to State of the City address

2009-03-16T19:43:00.002-07:00

March 11, 2009

The Surrey Civic Coalition gave a cautious endorsement to the State of the City address by SurreyFirst Mayor Dianne Watts today.

SCC Vice President Stephanie Ryan applauded announcements that Surrey City Centre would be deemed an Economic Investment Zone, meaning sustainable development in City Centre would become a priority and that high-density commercial applications would take priority.

“We think this is good news for everyone in Surrey who has been waiting for a second downtown core south of the Fraser to be built,” said Ryan.

Ryan hopes that such priority-processing will help fast-track the process, but cautioned that giving substantial breaks in property taxes, permit fees, and development cost charges (DCCs) to business-related projects in City Centre could wreak long-term havoc on the city’s finances and will ultimately mean a higher tax burden for residents.

To Mayor Watts’ point that the Crime Reduction Strategy effectively targets the root causes of crime, Ryan responded that SCC’s school trustee team knows that a good-quality, fully-funded public education system is the best way to prevent crime.

“We know that for so many of the gangsters making news headlines lately the school system failed to equip them with the tools and skills they needed to succeed in a crime-free lifestyle. Making sure that every student, especially those at-risk, gets a chance to succeed in the public system and to become a productive citizen remains a priority for SCC," she said.

As for the biggest challenge for Council, Ryan said it would be to handle competing demands to occupy vacant industrial lands and to finally focus commercial development within Surrey City Centre.

“We saw in the past that when development wasn’t happening quickly enough in City Centre Council opted to approve many office and business park developments throughout the Newton Industrial Core, resulting in an inefficient use of that land and a real lost opportunity for the development of Downtown Surrey," said Ryan.

Letter to the Editor: Keep the 351 bus route

2009-03-16T19:43:00.001-07:00

March 9, 2009

To the Editor,

It seems that TransLink continues to insist that it will axe the 351 bus route, from Crescent Beach to Vancouver, when the Canada Line finally comes to Richmond.

TransLink has long said that it would get rid of this bus route in favour of a feeder bus route that allows passengers to transfer onto the Canada Line to commute into downtown Vancouver, even in the face of community opposition.

This is a ridiculous decision by an organization that claims it wants to increase transit use.

Adding one or two more transfers for commuters who currently ride the 351 will likely move most of these people back into their cars. Who would really want to add time to their commute (given the transfers), and have to stand on a crowded SkyTrain car, when they previously were able to sit down on a comfortable seat for the entirety of their commute?

The decision by TransLink to axe the 351 bus route is completely unresponsive to the community's concerns, and indicative of the many problems associated with the privatization of TransLink's governance structure.

The Surrey Civic Coalition hopes TransLink will reverse its ill-thought out decision, and that Surrey City Council will speak out on this matter for commuters in South Surrey and White Rock.

By far the best solution is to keep the existing 351 bus route going directly to downtown Vancouver in addition to feeder buses that would connect with the new rapid transit line in Richmond.

The more choices commuters have, the better.

Stephanie Ryan
Vice President
Surrey Civic Coalition

SCC opposes slots in the heart of Newton Town Centre

2009-03-16T19:42:00.000-07:00

March 9, 2009

The Surrey Civic Coalition is opposed to SurreyFirst's plan to have slots in the heart of Newton Town Centre.

SCC Vice President Stephanie Ryan said the mayor’s group plans to go ahead with an application that would see a mini-casino at the site of the Newton bingo hall.

Ryan pointed out that the SCC has supported the city's existing gaming policy which allows for slot machines only in resort-style destination casinos.

Ryan said, "We think it's wrong that the City made a real effort to develop a comprehensive and sustainable gaming policy, and that Council is now eager to ignore it completely in the name of political opportunism."

Ryan acknowledged that most SurreyFirst councillors have voiced their support for the public hearing process and not necessarily for the development application itself, but expressed doubt that SurreyFirst “would dare to disappoint the developer by voting against the lucrative slot machines.”

Ryan acknowledged many social service agencies in Surrey rely on funding from similar community gaming services, calling this “a tragedy. It's high time the provincial government found more innovative ways of providing adequate funding for the community social services in this province.”

SCC believes “it's wrong that the province relies on gambling and gaming addiction to fund the agencies that help those community members most in need, many of them with addictions themselves", said Ryan.

SCC offers a solution to truck parking in Surrey

2009-03-16T19:39:00.000-07:00

February 12, 2009

The Surrey Civic Coalition will be fulfilling its campaign promise to the trucking community in Surrey this Monday when Councillor Bob Bose introduces a motion to allow for more truck parking in South Westminster.

The motion proposes to amend the zoning South of the Pattullo Bridge by deleting the IL-1 zone in its entirety, and will rezone the properties affected to IL zoning, which allows for truck parking.

Bob Bose explained, "It was a mistake in the first place to change the zoning in this neighbourhood to disallow truck parking. The IL-1 zoning in South Westminster does not allow for salvage uses, but all we've seen is a bunch of salvage that doesn't conform, and a lost opportunity."

Rina Gill, the SCC Council candidate who first brought this issue to the SCC's attention, said she is excited about the possibility of opening up hundreds of acres of truck parking for those who are so desperately looking for space.

"This has been a frustrating and costly exercise for the approximately 9,100 independent truckers registered in Surrey," according to Rina Gill. "Truckers have been telling me that they have been frustrated by the delay, and that they want answers now," she said.

Stephanie Ryan, Vice President with the SCC, said that the current situation of two-year temporary use permits for truck parking, is short-sighted and unsustainable. "It's disappointing that even with Councillor Gill's efforts to find a solution to the lack of truck parking, that no one was able to come up with a solution as simple as this one," said Ryan.

Ryan said that the action is just the first of many the Surrey Civic Coalition aims to bring to City Council as part of their progressive agenda.

Thank you for all your support!

2008-12-13T13:05:00.000-08:00

I want to thank everyone for their support during the civic election campaign. While I didn't win a seat on Council this time around, I earned a respectable 14, 514 votes. What's more, the SCC team was able to add two more progressive Trustees (Laurie Larsen and Ijaz Chatha) to the Surrey Board of Education!

The campaign was hard-fought, with countless hours put into door-knocking, phoning, data entry, and signs. I am proud of the fact that the SCC team was able to speak to the issues that are most important to people in Surrey, whether that's thinking critically about the way we choose to grow and develop, the sorry state of public transit service here, the importance of protecting our environment and especially the sensitive salmon watershed at Campbell Heights, or the way we choose to govern ourselves (the at-large system v. the wards system).

I'm looking forward to keeping these issues alive over the next three years, and for raising new topics as they come along!

Thanks again for all your help,

Stephanie

SCC Council Candidate Questions Surrey's Spending on Olympics

2008-10-22T22:19:00.000-07:00

Surrey Civic Coalition (SCC) City Council candidate Stephanie Ryan wants to know why the City of Surrey had to buy its way into providing the volunteer training centre for the 2010 Olympics. Ryan is a keen supporter of the 2010 Olympics, but believes that the economic times require good fiscal leadership and a view to the city's bottom line.

"The city paid VANOC $2 million for the 'membership privileges' of using the Olympic logo, being a part of the Torch Relay and the Cultural Olympiad, and to have our new recreation centre in Whalley be used for volunteer training before the Olympics," Ryan said.

Ryan questions whether due diligence was used in negotiating the deal.

"Surrey is building a $10.5 million Volunteers Centre for the Olympics at no cost to VANOC, and it's not clear to me why we had to pay a full $2 million on top of that contribution."

She says a fiscally responsible approach in city hall is more important than ever given the forecasts of an economic downturn. She's particularly concerned that the city will find it extremely difficult to find money for improving roads and infrastructure in the coming years, as development slows down in the city as a result of the global credit crunch.

Ryan notes, "Between 75 and 80 per cent of all road and infrastructure improvements in Surrey are paid for through development cost charges (DCCs), and as development slows, the revenue generated from this source will drop dramatically.

"This year, the city found an extra $1.6 million for infrastructure improvements in the form of a road levy. Down the road, we could use that $2 million membership we paid to be a venue city."

Ryan also thinks it was perhaps a poor financial decision on the part of the city to fast-track the volunteers centre building project.

"Fast-tracking a project drives up the cost, and you risk having cost overruns. With a little more planning and foresight, the city may have been able to save more money, which then could have gone towards roads and infrastructure improvements that are so badly needed in Surrey," says Ryan.

We still need to do more about affordable housing and homelessness in Surrey

2008-10-22T22:13:00.000-07:00

Stephanie Ryan, Surrey Civic Coalition council candidate, applauds yesterday's announcement that 30 to 40 units of modular supportive housing will come to Surrey.

The agreement is a partnership between VANOC, RONA, the provincial government and the city. "It's great for Surrey and will help address the issue of homelessness," said Ryan.

She said Homelessness Awareness Week was an opportune time to note, "The city has made significant progress in addressing homelessness in the last three years, especially with the establishment of the Housing & Homelesness Society.

But Ryan, who has researched the lack of commercial development in Whalley, said there is much more that can be done.

"City Council has chosen to not lobby the provincial government to build more co-op housing in Surrey. It hasn't yet taken steps to protect existing rental stock for the long-term, and to build more non-market housing stock in the short-term. Nor has the city examined innovative solutions such as introducing the idea of location-efficient mortgages at the regional level."

Ryan also thinks people in Surrey still need to know more about the deal that was struck. "We haven't been told what the value of the land on the part of the city will be," she said.

Ryan hopes the city will consult the community when choosing a location for the supportive housing.

I've applied to TransLink's Board of Directors

2008-08-23T11:12:00.000-07:00

As you may have heard, three vacancies recently opened up on TransLink's Board of Directors. I decided to apply because we need to make sure that the concerns of residents in Surrey are heard each time that important decisions are made at the TransLink Board. In case you're curious what my qualifications are, and what my key reasons are for applying, I've included a copy of my cover letter below.

The Caldwell Partners
Suite 850, 1095 West Pender Street
Vancouver, BC
V6E 2M6

To Whom It May Concern:

I am interested in serving as a member of the Board of Directors for TransLink. I most recently served as a member of the Alma Mater Society’s Board of Directors for three years, and I am currently serving as President of the Alma Mater Society Foundation, a charitable group. I have a wealth of financial experience, having served on committees that dealt with budgets from the size of $180,000 to $11 Million. I have an in-depth knowledge of municipal land use planning, zoning and public processes, having written my thesis on land use and planning in Surrey’s City Centre while studying at the University of British Columbia. I also consider myself an expert in urban transportation, and will be one of eighty participants in the Canadian Urban Transit Association’s upcoming Summit on Urban Transportation.

I am passionate about transportation issues in Metro Vancouver, and I believe that I will bring a unique perspective to the Board, as an active rider of public transit, and as someone who lives south of the Fraser. There are unique challenges that people living south of the Fraser, and especially in Surrey, face given Translink’s new governance structure. We are the ones paying extremely high fares, per kilometre, buying two-zone fares for a one-station trip on Skytrain from Scott Road to Columbia Station. We are the ones who will, in the not-too-distant future, be faced with exorbitant tolls every time we cross the Port Mann, Patullo, and Golden Ears bridges. We are the ones who, according to Transport 2040, will be served by only six Frequent Transit Network routes in the year 2040- Vancouver will be served by over thirty- even though we will be the ones coping with extreme population growth.

I have the time, and the interest, to do an excellent job serving on TransLink’s Board of Directors, and I would effectively represent residents in Metro Vancouver who live south of the Fraser River. If TransLink is to succeed as an organization, it must begin to adequately address the needs of the ever-growing populations in the Fraser Valley. Surrey is predicted to outstrip Vancouver in terms of population size much before 2040, and our funding levels ought to reflect this fact. I also recognize that TransLink is facing an urgent crisis in funding because of decreasing overall revenues from the gas tax, and that sustainable land use and development by municipalities must go hand-in-hand with sustainable transportation planning if we are to succeed in meeting the region’s environmental targets.

I believe that I will prove to be an asset to the TransLink team. I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Stephanie Ryan

Paving over prime agricultural land for a food distribution warehouse is wrong- July 29, 2008

2008-08-04T19:08:00.000-07:00

Surrey City Council again showed its true colours when it voted to re-zone a parcel of A-1 (agricultural) land for the purpose of paving it over and constructing a 421,000 square foot concrete warehouse.

Many people at the public hearing spoke to the fact that once prime agricultural land is paved over with concrete, it can not be reclaimed as farmland. It is lost as agricultural land forever.

But only Councillors Bob Bose and Judy Villeneuve voted against this project. Meanwhile, this past Sunday, July 27th, the Farmland Defence League of BC held a well-attended dinner at the Semiahmoo Fish & Game Club to celebrate the decision made 35 years ago to protect much of our prime agricultural land in BC through the Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR).

Protecting and preserving our farmland is even more important than it was back in 1973. We are facing multiple challenges in terms of food security: food shortages are occurring around the world; the price of oil is making the cost of importing food much more expensive; and more and more people are realizing the environmental and health benefits of growing food locally.

Mayor Watts and her Surrey First councillors use sustainability as a buzz word. They even passed a Sustainability Charter for the city. But sustainability includes being able to feed ourselves from our own land as much as possible. Once upon a time, 86 per cent of the vegetables we ate were grown locally.

Sustainability means preserving the precious farmland that we have left in the Lower Mainland and the Fraser Valley, whether or not it is already protected by the Agricultural Land Reserve. It means properly leveraging this land so that we can maximize the productivity of food production.

Why then would our current city council vote to destroy precious agricultural land and build a giant warehouse which, ironically enough, will be used as a food distribution centre for food trucked in from afar? I strongly believe we have a responsibility to our children, and future generations, to leave behind as much farmland as possible so they are able to feed themselves.

The City of Surrey's land-use and zoning policies must properly reflect the principles in the recently-released Sustainability Charter, which speaks to the fact that we ought to support local food production for our children and grandchildren.

What the mayor and her council have done is just plain wrong.

Successfully Nominated as a Candidate for City Council!

2008-07-29T22:28:00.000-07:00

This Sunday, July 27th, I was nominated as one of five candidates that the Surrey Civic Coalition will be running for City Council in the November municipal election. The other nominees are: Rina Gill, Grant Rice, Jim McMurtry, and incumbent Bob Bose. For Surrey Board of Education, the SCC nominated incumbent Terry Allen, along with Laurie Larsen, Ijaz Chatha, and Laurence Greeff.

I've launched a "Politician" page on Facebook that I will try to update regularly- please become a supporter! You can find it here: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Stephanie-Ryan/19526178785.

Stay tuned!

Issues: Affordable Housing

2008-07-18T20:49:00.000-07:00

There are two issues people in Surrey think about when it comes to housing. For most families, affordability is the key. Where can we afford to live? Is our current housing market preventing young families from becoming home-owners? The second issue, unfortunately, is the growing number of homeless in Surrey, particularly in the City Centre and south through to Newton.

Surrey can work with all levels of government to ensure housing is affordable for young people to become homeowners. Surrey's part is to ensure that a variety of housing choices is provided, appropriate for people of all ages, for young families, for new homeowners, etc. In Surrey, I will push for the provincial and federal governments to establish a non-market housing program, similar to the Madrid model. Under this model, governments build non-market housing projects, which they then sell to buyers who qualify for this housing, "at-cost." The buyers, when they wish to sell, must sell back to the government at the price they bought at, plus a minimal price increase for each year that they owned (perhaps at the rate of inflation). The government will then sell the unit back to another buyer who qualifies. The Madrid model works because: 1) it doesn't 'cost' the government anything; 2) there is little incentive for a buyer to try and 'cheat' the system in hopes of making a profit; 3) the price increase of non-market housing occurs at a much slower rate than the market (perhaps 2.5% per year, as opposed to the recent market increases of close to 10% per year). This niche of non-market housing remains affordable to the middle-class over time.

Surrey City Council should be lobbying the provincial government to start investing again in more co-op housing in Surrey. As well, Surrey should, with the rest of Metro Vancouver, be encouraging the use of location-efficient mortgages. This is where people who live in developments in close proximity to rapid transit can qualify for a larger mortgage over the same term; the assumption is these homeowners will not need to incur regular car-related expenses, and therefore qualify to pay as much as $200 more on their monthly mortgage payments than they would be permitted to otherwise.

With regard to homelessness, the city needs to preserve existing rental stock by making it in some cases more difficult for much-needed affordable housing stock to be re-developed for a profit. As well, the City of Surrey can work together with other levels of government to build more social housing in our city. Surrey can help by donating public parcels of land for this type of housing and work with developers to include a percentage of non-market housing stock. The city can also do more to leverage its Housing & Homelessness Fund, putting more money toward solutions to the problem of homelessness, such as assisting local non-profit groups who already do this sort of outreach, to find solutions that work in each neighbourhood. Surrey should also work with other municipalities across the country, and with the federal government to develop a new Affordable Housing strategy that will work in the 21st-century.

Issues: The Euthanization of Beavers

2008-07-18T20:48:00.000-07:00

I think it's shameful that the city has euthanized 40 beavers in the past year alone. There was a time when the beaver was our city's emblem, yet it appears that there has been little effort recently to protect the animal. The Mayor has said that she does not support the killing of wildlife, but I think the numbers tell a different story. I think it's rather sad that while the Mayor feels strongly about protecting wildlife she was apparently unaware of the wide-spread killing of beavers that has taken place for many years now in Surrey.

It's important that new developments, as much as possible, do not encroach upon natural habitat and greenbelts that are home to many animals, hopefully mitigating any future problems and flooding. I believe that we should respect that beaver dams will always be a part of the natural environment and that we should do our best not to build in areas that could be potentially flooded by damming. I also hope that the city implements a system of 'beaver-deceivers', as other municipalities in the Lower Mainland have done, instead of continuing its program of euthanization.

Issues: Wards

2008-07-18T20:47:00.000-07:00

Right now, Surrey City Councillors (there are 9 of them, including the Mayor) are elected at-large. 7 of the 9 Councillors hail from either South Surrey or Cloverdale, with Tom Gill (from Fraser Heights) and Barbara Steele (from Guildford) being the only Councillors from North Surrey. Our current system has effectively left Whalley, Fleetwood, and Newton (with a population of 110,000) without representation.

Under a mixed-wards system, six neighbourhoods would each get to elect their own neighbourhood, or ward, representative, with four Councillors plus the Mayor being elected at-large, and being charged with making decisions on behalf of the city as a whole. A mixed-wards system would provide for stronger communities in Surrey, more accountability at City Hall, and for better democratic representation at the City Council level.

Issues: Walkable Streets

2008-07-18T20:46:00.000-07:00

There is a sense of belonging that comes with living in a neighbourhood you like to walk in. City Council can encourage Surrey residents to walk more by making it easier to get around. New homes should be located close to local amenities.

Neighbourhoods should be smaller, more walkable blocks, with adequate lighting for nighttime and more street beautification programs in neighbourhoods so that walking is more pleasant during the day. A sedentary lifestyle with a lot of driving and little walking, can lead to obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. But many neighbourhoods in Surrey are simply not walkable because they don't have sidewalks. Major roads in Surrey should all have sidewalks as well as an adequate number of pedestrian-controlled crosswalks. Surrey should adopt more pedestrian-friendly policies in its future development.

Issues: New Hospital

2008-07-18T20:45:00.002-07:00

Surrey's population is rapidly growing, yet it is served by only one hospital, Surrey Memorial Hospital. Surrey has a population of approximately 450,000 and has one hospital; Vancouver's population is close to 550,000 and has seven.

It is clear that Surrey is chronically underfunded in this area. The overcrowded and inadequate conditions at SMH are notorious, and have led Fraser Health to expand the hospital by way of a new ER wing and a new outpatient site. However, this is not enough. It is absolutely unacceptable that Surrey Memorial Hospital has declared a "code orange" (normally reserved for extremely unusual conditions, such as natural disasters) several times over the past year because of overcrowding. What's more, 10,000-12,000 new people are coming to Surrey each year. We need to plan for the future now by working with the provincial government and strongly asserting our need for additional facilities.

Issues: Involving Youth

2008-07-18T20:45:00.001-07:00

If today's youth are the leaders of tomorrow, I say let's start today. I will create grass roots support among youth who are concerned about the environment, public transit, and how Surrey grows into a city. I will try to make the civic election important and relevant to youth.

Tomorrow's leaders are the ones who will have to deal with the effects of climate change, rising gas prices and its effect on transportation, and the effects of housing choices we make today. Youth need an advocate for enhancing public parks, picnic areas, and green spaces. City Council has to engage youth in its decision-making processes if it wants to make the best decisions for the future of Surrey. Involving youth is one of my priorities.

Issues: Environment

2008-07-18T20:43:00.000-07:00

I believe that one of Surrey's greatest strengths is the large expanse of green space and agricultural land that we've been able to incorporate into our geography. Moving into the future, I think that it's very important that we remain stewards of the environment for future generations.

I would like to see all development at Campbell Heights Phase II halted immediately. Surrey City Council made an enormous mistake in ramming Phase I of the Campbell Heights development through the application process. They took what should have been preserved as another crown jewel for the "City of Parks" and created industrial land to profit a few insiders. They sold the land at a mere $35,000 per acre, wreaking havoc on the local environment and lowering the water table in the process. Most of the natural habitat in the area was destroyed. Now the City Development Corporation wants to push ahead with Phase II of Campbell Heights in the Stokes Pit area, without learning from the lessons of Phase I. We absolutely need to halt progress on Phase II until the environmental damage caused by Phase I has been fully dealt with and effectively mitigated. For Phase II, the Development Corporation is proposing that the existing Little Campbell Watershed be built over and that new waterways be constructed in lieu of preserving the old ones via setbacks. It seems very likely that getting rid of the existing watershed will affect many fish and other animals which thrive in the green space there.

I agree that it is important for Surrey to build up an industrial land base to ensure that our economy remains sustainable over the long-term. However, industrial land development should not come at the expense of our natural habitat. There are other lands in the city that are not classified as environmentally-sensitive areas which would be more appropriately used for this purpose. As well, it is not easy to provide the Campbell Heights area with city services because of its relative isolation, and it is relatively far from major transportation routes and has no access to rail transportation. Given the always-increasing price of gas, there may be a need for industries to ship goods by rail, instead of by truck, in the future, and we need to keep this in mind moving forward.

On City Council, I would be a committed advocate to protecting all of the agricultural land we have here in Surrey from development. We need to make sure everyone realizes that ALR land will be protected for the future, so that rampant speculation does not drive up the price of farmland and make local food production in Surrey an unviable activity. I believe that we also need to leverage our existing farmland in Surrey and continue to support our local farmers.

I also believe that the City needs to acquire more parkland and passive green space for the future. We can beautify our streets with more trees and natural habitat, and we should look at upgrading and many of our parks, especially the dog off-leash parks we have here in Surrey. I'd also like to look at the possibility of building more bicycle paths among river dykes, as other Metro Vancouver municipalities have done.

Issues: Smart Growth

2008-07-18T20:41:00.000-07:00

We need to create communities and neighbourhoods in Surrey that are compact and that promote healthy and inexpensive modes of transportation. People in Surrey want to know that they can easily walk, bike, or take transit to go to the places they need to go on a daily basis- their neighbourhood school, the grocery store, or even the park. City Council can make it easier for people in Surrey to get around without having to use a car and pay for gas by focusing development around town centres and local services and amenities. Council should also ensure that service provision by the city keeps up with the pace of development and that services and amenities don't lag behind.

I believe strongly that City Council can, and should, make smart growth in its City Centre neighbourhood a priority. I would like to see City Centre become a downtown core that provides many high-quality, local jobs and that can be a vibrant economic centre for everyone in Surrey and the entire Fraser Valley. Surrey can do a couple of things to encourage mixed-use space and commercial space development in our City Centre. I would like to see more public-sector investment in City Centre, especially in the form of sports stadiums, theatres and performing arts centres, concert halls, and other lively mixed-use spaces. I also believe that we should be working with all levels of government to bring public-sector jobs into City Centre, jump-starting development in this area and providing a 'critical mass' of people to encourage private-sector investment in Surrey.

City Council can also make the redevelopment of its City Centre a priority by reducing unnecessary barriers to new projects in that neighbourhood and by fast-tracking projects in Whalley where appropriate. Finally, I believe that Surrey needs to continue to take an active role in caring for all of Surrey's citizens and in finding meaningful solutions to the social issues (such as homelessness, crime, and drug use) everywhere in Surrey that tend to reflect poorly upon the city, hindering investment here.

Issues: Public Transit and Transportation

2008-07-18T20:39:00.000-07:00

I will be a committed advocate for better public transit and transportation alternatives in Surrey. With the price of gas constantly rising, we need to see more buses on more routes immediately.

Most of the recent hype around transportation in Surrey has surrounded the Gateway Project. However, Gateway is a raw deal for Surrey for two reasons. First, tolls on the Port Mann are unfair to residents of Surrey who cross this bridge on a regular basis, (almost all other bridges in the Lower Mainland will remain untolled). These tolls amount to essentially a tax on everyone living in Surrey and the Fraser Valley who crosses the Port Mann bridge on a regular basis. Worse yet, there is no viable transit alternative from Surrey across the Port Mann into Coquitlam, Burnaby, and Vancouver. I would like to see rapid bus transit (RBT) across the Port Mann, paired with queue-jumper lanes, as soon as possible. This system was originally part of TransLink's 10-year Outlook Plan, but funding was recently shifted to build queue-jumper lanes on other bridges that will serve transit users on their way to Olympic venues in 2010. In my opinion, Surrey should receive its fair share of funding for public transit over the Port Mann.

Future funds for bridges and transportation infrastructure from the province and TransLink should be going toward rebuilding the Pattullo Bridge. The Pattullo is notoriously unsafe and is the major road entrance to Surrey's metro centre from the northwest. It is overdue for an upgrade. As well, fixing the Patullo could very well help to ease congestion on the Port Mann by making this route a viable alternative for rush-hour commuters.

Another major project that I support is reviving the Interurban Line for passenger-rail through Surrey, and I believe that VALTAC (the Valley Transportation Advisory Committee) is doing some great work advocating for this. I am very excited about this initiative and look forward to seeing the forthcoming business plans for the different phases of the project. Passenger-rail on the Interurban Line would provide for better transit service between communities in Surrey. Surrey's downtown Whalley area is destined to become the regional downtown core of the Fraser Valley, and we need to make sure that all residents - from Cloverdale, Sullivan, Newton, South Surrey, and Guildford - have good access to that core area. The passenger-rail line would travel from Cloverdale through Sullivan Heights and Newton into Whalley, eventually being extended to Langley in time for the Olympics and eventually following the rest of the rail line out through Abbotsford to Chilliwack. Train service could reliably move large amounts of people, at a mere fraction of the cost of a Skytrain service, and could realistically be delivered within a few years. The chronic overcrowding and pass-ups on the 395 and 502 bus routes is driving many commuters from Cloverdale back into their cars for lack of a better alternative, and we need to find a solution now.

There will be many changes made to public transit service south of the Fraser in the next few years. For instance, the introduction of the Canada Line to Richmond will dramatically affect the bus service levels from South Surrey to downtown Vancouver. Many buses which now run a direct route from South Surrey into downtown Vancouver will be redirected to the Canada Line, where riders will have to transfer onto what is likely going to be an overcrowded Skytrain car with no seats available. With the 351 bus being redirected, riders may even have to transfer one more time once in Vancouver to get to their destination. I support maintaining the existing direct bus routes from South Surrey to downtown Vancouver.

A major issue concerning public transit users is safety. People do not feel safe at Skytrain stations, bus stops and exchanges in Surrey. These places often attract crime and unsavoury activities, and compromise the safety of people riding public transit, especially at night. There are a few things that need to be done. First, more frequent service on bus routes in Surrey outside of peak hours, later in the evening, would reduce the waiting time late at night. The infrequency of bus service on some routes is quite frankly a little shameful. Secondly, we need a greater sense of security at our Skytrain stops and major bus exchanges, such as Newton or Surrey Central. This can be done not only through increased lighting and video surveillance, but through an increased presence of people at these locations, both Transit Police officers and security guards. We need a sense of security on public transit in Surrey if we want to increase ridership at all times of day and thereby increase safety just by way of numbers.

Another major factor preventing a lot of people in Surrey from making the shift to transit is the lack of adequate service late at night. I will lobby for 24-hour Skytrain service. The Skytrain service could run on a reduced schedule overnight. Now, folks from Surrey who go downtown at night must either return by midnight, drive a car, or take a $70 to $80 cab ride home. Providing overnight Skytrain as a late-night transportation alternative is good public safety policy as well as transportation policy.

Lastly, I'd like to see fairer transit fares for people in Surrey. The fact that a trip on Skytrain from Scott Road Station to Columbia Station costs someone in Surrey a two-zone fare ($3.75),yet someone in Vancouver can travel from Joyce Station all the way out to UBC on a one-zone fare ($2.50) is, quite frankly, ridiculous and indicative of the mistreatment that transit riders south of the Fraser receive.

Safety must be transit priority- Surrey/North Delta Leader, December 28, 2007

2008-07-18T20:21:00.000-07:00

I'm a UBC student who lives on campus during the school year, but who comes home to Fraser Heights for the holidays and summes. This past Monday night, I was coming home from UBC to Surrey via transit after a late class dinner on campus.

I got to Guildford around 10:15pm, only to discover that the C74 bus to Fraser Heights stops running after 9:30pm. Late at night, I was forced to walk around until I could find a cab to take home. It was dark and quiet out, and I'll admit I was a little scared walking around by myself.

A good public transportation system should be about more than just convenience, it should also be about safety.

Most people would agree that service south of the Fraser should be expanded and made more frequent on well-used routes.

However, I am concerned that under the new TransLink governance structure, expansion will be propelled on the basis of maximizing efficiency, potentially negating the fact that transit expansion outside of peak hours can greatly increase the safety of Surrey residents.

Everyone ought to be able to travel safely home at night via public transit, without the fear of experiencing violence.

I trust that the new directors of TransLink will take contextual values, such as safety, into consideration (in addition to values of efficiency) when determining when and how service will be expanded.

Revive rail line- Surrey/North Delta Leader, May 14, 2008

2008-07-18T20:17:00.000-07:00

The Interurban Line needs to be revived- now.

VALTAC (Valley Transportation Advisory Committee) is leading the movement to re-open the rail line for passenger rail use.

Light rail on the Interurban Line through the Fraser Valley would be a fast, frequent and reliable option for commuters travelling westward from places like Langley and Cloverdale.

Such a service could be implemented in a very short period of time, at a relatively low cost.

Given the few barriers that exist to implementing passenger rail on the Interurban Line, and the dismal state of public transit service in the Fraser Valley, our governments must act now to bring rail to the Valley.

Gas prices are predicted to jump to $2.25 a litre by 2012; we must plan ahead by providing real, affordable alternatives to driving for residents south of the Fraser.

Passenger rail system not as costly as Plan B- The Surrey NOW, May 9, 2008

2008-07-18T20:14:00.000-07:00

Re: "Benefits of rail often go unseen", May 2 Now.

Matthew Claxton's point that implementing a passenger rail system through the Fraser Valley would be expensive is well-taken.

Certainly, no one wants another government boondoggle. However, I'm not convinced that the cost of rail for the valley is either prohibitive, or a good reason for not going ahead with the project.

Yes, it is predicted that passenger rail in the Fraser Valley could cost $6,000,000 per kilometre.

However, this is a fraction of what a system such as SkyTrain would cost.

Claxton also argues that passenger rail may not be an ideal solution because it will be subsidized by all taxpayers, including those who never use the system.

He seems to forget that most, if not all, government projects are paid out of the general tax based.

Any economist could tell you that if everyone had to pay for their individual share of government services- roads, schools, and hospitals, for example- no public goods would ever be provided.

Extend SkyTrain hours- Surrey/North Delta Leader, April 30, 2008

2008-07-18T19:57:00.000-07:00

Re: "Thinking late-night transit? Think again", April 18.

I was very concerned to read Deborah Edwards' letter about being stranded outside of the 29th Avenue SkyTrain station after taking transit home from a late-night concert. Ms. Edwards' experience speaks to the absolute inadequacy of some aspects of public transit in this region.

Anyone who uses public transit as their primary mode of transportation, either for financial, environmental, or other reasons, has very limited options late at night for getting around. On some routes, service ends completely at a certain point, like on SkyTrain, even when there may still be large numbers of people who need to get places; on others the service can become so infrequent that waiting for a bus becomes a serious safety issue.

I strongly believe that SkyTrain service, in particular, could easily be extended to run for longer hours to serve those people attending late-night events, working night shifts, or needing to get around for other reasons. There's a great petition on Facebook to extend SkyTrain service that people should consider signing- it can be found at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=6666586191.

Rail service would boost 'metro centre'- Langley Times, May 14, 2008

2008-07-18T19:33:00.000-07:00

Editor: We’ve heard just in the past week that as part of Metro Vancouver’s forthcoming regional growth strategy, Surrey City Centre will be deemed the new ‘metro centre’ for all of the Fraser Valley.

This is great news — it’s high-time that people in the Valley were provided with a closer downtown centre. We can only hope that this ‘metro centre’ will include lots more local jobs, a sports stadium and great performance and concert spaces. For far too long, people in Surrey and Langley have had to drive to Vancouver, through traffic and over bridges, to get to work, to sports games, and to shows.

People from all parts of the Fraser Valley are going to want to get to this new downtown core without getting stuck in traffic. There is a huge need for faster, more frequent, and more reliable transit from Langley Centre and Cloverdale, going in to the SkyTrain station and bus loop at Surrey Central. The #502 bus service just isn’t good enough, especially given the rapidly-growing population in Cloverdale and Langley.

The most cost-efficient way to bring people from Langley and Cloverdale into the Surrey metro centre would be to revive the interurban line and implement a system of passenger rail.

To build a system of at-grade passenger rail, it would cost between $6 to $7 million per kilometre, as compared to SkyTrain’s $100 to $233 million per kilometre. Because of the lower cost, passenger rail can probably be implemented much more quickly (maybe within a year).

Hopefully the Surrey metro centre concept can provide an impetus for moving forward with passenger rail for the Valley, at a time when everyone wants better public transit down Fraser Highway.

Accountability lacking on City Council- from the Surrey Leader, July 15, 2008

2008-07-18T19:29:00.000-07:00

Re: Raise council accountability (June 27, The Leader).

I agree with Frank Bucholtz that the lack of accountability on Surrey city council is a serious concern. The Campbell Heights scandal, as he described it, might be the most glaring example.

Most of Surrey Council has escaped criticism for its decision to move the project forward, as (former) mayor McCallum has shouldered most of the blame. Turning Stokes Pit into the Campbell Heights industrial park was a financial fiasco as well as an environmental disaster.

I also agree with Frank that a ward system of electing civic government would add accountability to our local government.

Surrey is a big city, and it continues to grow.

Our at-large system of governance is inappropriate given the sheer size of our city, whether it’s the unreasonably high petition threshold or the inability of each councillor to have in-depth knowledge on each of the important issues we face.

Surrey should move to reinstate its mixed-wards system of governance, where the majority of the city councillors represent individual communities, or wards, and the balance (plus the mayor) representing the city at-large.

This would provide for better representation of Surrey’s neighbourhoods and town centres at the city council level.

More importantly, a mixed-wards system would give residents better representation; it would allow for city councillors to make better decisions by being able to focus on representing one ward, and not the entire city all of the time.

Residents would be more capable of holding their elected representatives directly accountable for the individual decisions that they make at city hall.

Can you imagine the lack of accountability if our provincial or federal governments were elected at-large, and each MLA or MP were supposed to represent all of B.C., or all of Canada? This wouldn’t make any sense. And it doesn’t make any sense at the civic level either.

No major city in Canada, except Surrey and Vancouver, operates with an at-large system of governance.

I am seeking the nomination for council with the Surrey Civic Coalition, which also opposed the Campbell Heights development in 2002.

I will campaign to save what’s left of Campbell Heights to be preserved as parkland.

I am also a firm supporter of a mixed-wards system to elect local government.

Welcome

2008-07-18T12:09:00.000-07:00

Hi! My name is Stephanie Ryan, and I'm currently seeking the nomination of the Surrey Civic Coalition to run for Surrey City Council this November. Please take the time to look around my website- I'll be updating it as often as possible over the next four and a half months leading up to the election. You'll find photographs, information about upcoming events, recent press releases and letters to the editor, blog posts to keep you up to date on what I've been up to, and information on the issues I feel most strongly about and on my vision for Surrey.

Steady growth into the future is inevitable in Surrey, and I believe that now is an opportune time to make sure that City Council makes the kinds of decisions that will make our city the best it can possibly be for future generations, in terms of livability, sustainbility, and affordability.

If you have any questions, or want to be involved, by all means send me an email (stephanieryan86@gmail.com), or check out my Facebook group here: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=15414727031.