City must be blinded by its one-track mind to even think of putting road through Hawthorne Park

Surrey Mayor Linda Hepner needs to get over her nostalgia for choo-choo trains, one reader argues. (Now-Leader file photo)

The Editor,

Re: “Emotions high after Surrey approves controversial road through Hawthorne Park,” the Now-Leader online.

This regressive mayor and all her lemmings are hell bent on inflicting LRT on Surrey, based solely on a claimed cost advantage as opposed to SkyTrain.

We need an independent cost study of LRT with all support facilities over the 40-year life of the project. LRT can not be cheaper when all the standalone costs are taken over the life of the project – not just initial cost.

With an ever-growing population and finite amount of land, development is running rampant all over the Lower Mainland.

Surrey’s regressive, visionless mayor wants to put rails in the ground. Surrey residents will rue this decision for two generations.

Surrey’s 104th Avenue and King George Boulevard were not laid out with the idea of transit taking up road space.

Now for the stupidity. Not only do they want to put a road through Hawthorne Park, they want to put it through a children’s playground at Hjorth Road Elementary school.

This council has to be totally blinded by its one-track mind to even think of such a thing. Then they want to put it in between established apartments with kids and families.

This mayor and council needs to get over their nostalgia for choo-choo trains.

Dave Bains, Surrey



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