Watts On LRT - Priority

Surrey Mayor Dianne Watts recently granted an interview with Province newspaper columnist Brian Lewis. In today's newspaper Watt's says:

While new people help drive Surrey's economy via needs for housing, shops, jobs, etc., they also need many services. Thus, public transportation is a top priority, she says, and it will include developing plans for expanded bus services, light rail, rapid bus systems, as well as utilization of the old Inter-Urban rail line in some fashion.

Watts will push hard for Victoria to drop plans to extend Surrey's elevated SkyTrain line and select a ground-level extension instead. She's disappointed that Victoria's recently announced Valley transit study does not include Surrey. "Planning collectively gives you a better result," Watts says.

Wow, if ever a politician gets it! Mayor Watts is right on top of this file and she understands Light Rail Transit for sure. Very early this year she announced that she had received some information from the BC MoT regarding a comparison of SkyTrain vs. Light Rail. So it appears that the good mayor has done her homework and has made up her mind. For the past several months she has been making very pro-LRT statements. Good on her!

So, I was thinking this morning of a list of politicians that get it with regards to Light Rail Transit in the south Fraser. Here is what I've come up with based on words that have been met by action:

Surrey Mayor Dianne Watts
Langley City Councillor Rudy Storteboom
Langley City Councillor Gail Martin
Township of Langley Councillor Jordan Bateman
Township of Langley Councillor Charlie Fox
Abbotsford Councillor Lynne Harris
Abbotsford Councillor Dave Lowen

There could be other strong supporters, but these are the people that I am familiar with and heard their voices in council. There are a few new politicians that made some campaign promises and so the jury is out on them. Maybe we can update this list as time goes on and add these new people in time.