At the end of the new SkyTrain line into Langley City, there will be a terminus with a transit police office, washrooms, and retail space – along with a bus exchange. But, the Langley City Centre SkyTrain station at the end of the 16-kilometre extension from Surrey won't have a park and ride.
Nor will any of the other stations on the new line, Langley City Mayor Nathan Pachal noted, following a review of the project by Langley City's advisory design panel and council.
"Almost all SkyTrain riders start their journey on foot... wheeling or by bus," Pachal commented in his online blog on Wednesday, Sept.25, following the recent review.
"Langley City is a highly walkable community."
To be located at the northeast corner of the intersection of 203 Street and Fraser Highway, the station will accommodate "a significant transit exchange that can support bus rapid transit," Pachal added.
"This station has some great features, making it unique among the new stations the province is building for the extension," Pachal said.
It will feature public art and design features, including a wave design in the concrete sidewalks to symbolize the Nicomekl River that will extend along all of Industrial Avenue.
In addition to a transit police office, that Pachal described as a "mini police station," along with "secure bike parking, washrooms, and a retail outlet," the station will also also have a plaza on the south with many shade trees.
As part of the project, Industrial Avenue will be extended to 203A Street and from 203A Street to Fraser Highway.
The station's construction and finishing materials will be "durable and resistant to vandalism" with a lot of glass to improve safety, "ensuring no hidden spaces," Pachal said.
A design document described the station layout as "a unique centre-platform configuration... offering two double-sided... entrances at both ends of the station to support the transit exchange to the north and a public plaza to the south."
South Fraser Station Partners, which will build the eight new stations, is a consortium of Aecon Constructors, Acciona Infrastructure Canada Inc. and Pomerleau BC Inc.
Once the line is complete, travel between Langley City and Surrey Centre is expected to take about 22 minutes. Travelling between Langley and downtown Vancouver should take slightly more than an hour.
In August, the provincial government, blaming inflation, announced the new eight-station line will not be in service until late 2029, a year later than planned, and will cost almost $2 billion more than originally budgeted.
