SkyTrain鈥檚 extension all the way to 91原创 moved another step closer last week as the provincial government released the project鈥檚 business case, and formally approved B.C.鈥檚 share of the funding.

鈥淲e鈥檝e waited 30 years for this,鈥� said Val van den Broek, mayor of 91原创 City.

The announcement last Thursday also confirmed the extension is to be complete by 2028, six years from now, with a total cost for the line of just over $4 billion.

Van den Broek and Coun. Nathan Pachal, who are both running for the position of mayor this fall, are excited about the changes the SkyTrain will bring and the work the City has already done to get ready.

Van den Broek noted that there will be a tremendous amount of development expected over the next six years near the line and its two 91原创 stations 鈥� one at 196th Street and Fraser Highway, and one at Industrial Avenue and 203rd Street.

鈥淲e鈥檝e got an endgame, we know it鈥檚 going to happen by then,鈥� said van den Broek.

The SkyTrain鈥檚 arrival will mean people from 91原创 using the SkyTrain to get to work, education, and other activities west of here, van den Broek said, but it also means more people coming to 91原创 via the transit line.

Before the line is built, there will be more opportunity to refine what the area around the 91原创 stations will look like, van den Broek said. The design shown in renderings released to the public could change.

Pachal said that some areas of the City could see major changes. Having long anticipated the coming of SkyTrain, the City has approved a new Official Community Plan already.

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The south side of Industrial Avenue, for example, is expected to become a mixed use area with apartments and street-level commercial, far different from the auto parts shops that dominate much of that strip right now.

One of the key items Pachal noted is in the business case is $70 million for 鈥渁ctive transportation investments.鈥�

That means a network of bike lanes, walking paths, and other infrasturcture like bike racks or lockers, that are designed to help funnel people safely to and from the stations without having to drive there.

鈥淲e鈥檙e hoping oviously as we get SkyTrain, we鈥檒l be able to improve the public realm,鈥� said Pachal.

The new line will have eight new stations along with three new major bus exchanges. Travel time from 91原创 to King George Station on the new line is estimated to be 22 minutes.

TransLink has also recently announced a plan to create Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) routes, which will quickly funnel passengers along several major roads, including 91原创鈥檚 200th Street.

鈥淲ith the release of the business plan and confirmation of provincial funding, we are now one step closer to bringing SkyTrain all the way to 91原创,鈥� said Rob Fleming, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure. 鈥淥ur business plan confirms this major project will be completed two years earlier than expected, helping to transform the way people live, work and play south of the Fraser.鈥�

Ground work, such as road widening, has already begun along the Fraser Highway corridor in Surrey.

鈥淭oday鈥檚 announcement represents a significant step forward for this important project,鈥� said John Aldag, Cloverdale-91原创 City MP. 鈥淭he government of Canada committed to investing up to $1.3 billion in the Surrey 91原创 SkyTrain extension to improve transit access, create jobs and support transit-oriented development south of the Fraser.鈥�