People are being asked to weigh in on plans for the Surrey-Langley SkyTrain line, and TransLink also wants to gauge the public’s level of support for the project.

The proposed line replaces a plan for light rail in Surrey, which was scrapped after the city’s mayor, Doug McCallum, pushed for SkyTrain technology instead.

The SkyTrain extension would run for 16 kilometres from King George Station in Surrey along the Fraser Highway to 203rd Street in Langley.

Project director Jeff Busby said TransLink is now working on a draft business case for the line.

“We have to answer two questions for the SkyTrain extension to Langley: First question is how much SkyTrain can be built for the $1.6 billion that’s available, and how much would the overall project all the way to Langley City cost?” he said.

The money was originally intended for the construction of the light rail system. A TransLink estimate from 2017 put the cost of running a SkyTrain extension to Langley at $2.9 billion, but how much that amount will change is still an unknown, according to the vice-president of planning and policy Geoff Cross.

“Property estimates change, construction elements change, the actual design of this would look different as well, so we will wait and see,” Cross said.

The wait is a concern for Surrey Board of Trade CEO Anita Huberman.

“The more that we wait, the more that the funding envelope that’s been approved will only take us so far,” she said.

The board had backed the LRT project, and plans to be very involved in the public consultation for the SkyTrain line and rapid transit options for King George Boulevard and 104th Avenue.

Public feedback will be gathered online and at one of four open houses:

  • Thursday, April 11 at Langley City Hall, 3-8 p.m.
  • Monday, April 15 at the Surrey Sport and Leisure Complex, 3-8 p.m.
  • Tuesday, April 16 at Surrey City Hall, 3-8 p.m.
  • Wednesday, April 17 at Newton Seniors’ Centre, 3-8 p.m.

They’ll also be collecting input at Surrey’s Party for the Planet on Saturday, April 13, the Vaisakhi Parade on Saturday, April 20, and at certain transit hubs.

The consultation will run until April 26. The Mayors’ Council will receive an update on the plans in July.