Flanked by local candidates at 91原创 City鈥檚 Douglas Park, NDP leader John Horgan pledged $1.5 billion to complete the SkyTrain extension on Thursday morning.

鈥淪kyTrain to 91原创 is long overdue,鈥� Horgan said.

鈥淎 re-elected NDP government will complete the Surrey to 91原创 SkyTrain route, right here to 91原创,鈥� said Horgan.

鈥淲e want to make this a provincial project, so it takes pressure off municipalities, it takes pressure off TransLink, we鈥檙e going to fund it,鈥� Horgan said.

This does not mean that the province will be funding the entire project, which was being headed by the TransLink Mayors鈥� Council and needs funding from both the province and the federal government.

鈥淭he municipalities will have to find their share,鈥� Horgan said. 鈥淚鈥檒l work with the federal government as I鈥檝e been doing for the past number of years, to make sure that we get our fair share of the dollars we send to Ottawa.鈥�

鈥漈he BC Liberals had 16 years to do it, and did not,鈥� Horgan said of the difference between the NDP and his primary opponents in the election.

Horgan also mentioned a host of other infrastructure projects, including the widening of Highway 1 as far east as Abbotsford, which the NDP platform, released earlier this week, mis-identified as Fraser Highway for a few hours before it was hastily revised.

The total cost of the Surrey-91原创 SkyTrain is estimated at about $3.1 billion, with the $1.6 billion phase to Surrey鈥檚 Fleetwood neighbourhood already funded.

The switch from a plan for light rail to a full SkyTrain line increased costs, and means an additional $1.5 billion is needed to complete the last portion of the line.

READ MORE: Surrey-91原创 SkyTrain business case

Horgan was introduced by 91原创 riding NDP candidate Andrew Mercier, who criticized BC Liberal leader Andrew Wilkinson鈥檚 proposed economic policies.

鈥淎ndrew Wilkinson is proposing another tax cut, where the biggest benefits go to those at the top,鈥� Mercier said, contrasting it to the NDP鈥檚 pledge to create jobs.

Mercier鈥檚 opponent, Liberal candidate Mary Polak, was not opposed to the SkyTrain project moving forward, but suggested her party would do a better job of seeing it to completion.

鈥淲e absolutely support it,鈥� Polak said of SkyTrain to 91原创.

鈥淲e need SkyTrain out to 91原创, sooner rather than later.鈥�

She said the NDP鈥檚 record on infrastructure projects is promising more and delivering less, whereas the Liberals have a track record of completing large-scale projects.

Local mayors were supportive of the NDP鈥檚 announcement.

鈥淭here is a solid business case for the Surrey-91原创 SkyTrain project to be completed all at once as it keeps costs down, generates proven economic growth, and moves people to look for alternative transportation options,鈥� said City Mayor Val van den Broek. 鈥淭his provincial project will be a game-changer for the residents who live south of the Fraser.鈥�

鈥淚t鈥檚 certainly a good announcement and it helps a lot in delivering the project quicker,鈥� said Mayor Jack Froese of 91原创 Township.

He noted there were a few details, including about timing, that were not part of Horgan鈥檚 announcement.

Froese said the promise of provincial funding is reassuring, as TransLink has been hit hard by loss of revenue due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Surrey Mayor Doug McCallum also released a statment shortly after the announcement.

鈥淭he BC NDP鈥檚 promise to build this line all the way to 91原创 makes good sense,鈥� McCallum said. 鈥淭his project is shovel ready, will create well-paying jobs immediately, and will take more cars off the road with the built-in ridership from the growing cities of Surrey and 91原创.鈥�

SkyTrain for Surrey, a lobby group for the line, called on the BC Liberals and Greens to match the NDP鈥檚 pledge to fully fund the line.

鈥淭he most important aspect of today鈥檚 announcement is the funding commitment to ensure the full SkyTrain project 鈥搒panning 16 kilometres from King George Station to 91原创 City 鈥� is completed in a single phase instead of two, and does not hinge on TransLink鈥檚 ability to deliver a regional funding share,鈥� the group said in a statement.

During the announcement, Horgan said the NDP鈥檚 promised policies will create 18,000 jobs a year for transit, roads, and other projects as part of the $9 billion in overall infrastructure funding.

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