Surrey Central station

Surrey Central
SkyTrain station
Location	10277 City Parkway, Surrey, BC
Coordinates	49°11′22″N 122°50′52″W / 49.189473°N 122.847871°W / 49.189473; -122.847871Coordinates: 49°11′22″N 122°50′52″W / 49.189473°N 122.847871°W / 49.189473; -122.847871
Owned by	BC Transit, TransLink
Platforms	Centre platform
Tracks	2
Connections	96 B-Line
Construction
Structure type	Elevated
Disabled access	Yes
Other information
Station code	SC
Fare zone	3
History
Opened	March 28, 1994
Traffic
Passengers (2017[1])	12,400
Services
Preceding station   TransLink   Following station Gateway toward Waterfront Expo Line Surrey King George Terminus

The Surrey Centre Library and City Hall are adjacent to the station.

Surrey Central station is located on an elevated portion of the Expo Line, a part of Metro Vancouver's SkyTrain rapid transit system. It is located in downtown Surrey, British Columbia, just east of the North Surrey Recreation Centre and near to the Central City Shopping Centre, the Surrey campus of Simon Fraser University, and Surrey City Hall.

Surrey Central is the busiest of the four stations located within Surrey, with a daily average ridership of approximately 31,500 on a typical weekday.^[2]

History

Surrey Central station was one of three new stations opened on March 28, 1994 when the Expo Line was extended into downtown Surrey. The name "Surrey Central" was chosen after an ad was placed in the local paper calling on residents to propose an appropriate name.

Prior to the Expo Line extension, there was a bus loop on the site known as "Whalley Exchange" (opened on May 30, 1975)^[3] as the immediate area is historically known as Whalley.

Over the years, the station has earned a reputation for being unsafe and a magnet for crime, including violence and drug trafficking. In 2009, it had the second-highest number of violent crimes in the SkyTrain system (with Commercial–Broadway station having the highest), although criminal activity has been dropping significantly.^[4][5] In an effort to combat the station's rundown image, and to show off experimental urban design, the City of Surrey and TransLink agreed to have Surrey Central Station participate in the GVTA's Urban Transit Village program. The Transit Villages were defined by TransLink as "a new approach to station design and access." While the original schedule called for construction to be completed by the second quarter of 2007, nothing beyond design plans were completed. The Surrey Central plan specifically called for improvements in four areas: station access, street design, King George Boulevard, and land use.

Officers from the South Coast British Columbia Transportation Authority Police Service can be found patrolling the bus loop and SkyTrain platform in an effort to reduce crime and disorder, with supplemental volunteers patrolling the area and reporting any suspicious or dangerous behaviour.^[6] By the mid-2010s, with extensive police patrols and redevelopment of the area, violent crimes shifted from Whalley south to Newton, which has taken over the area's reputation of being the most dangerous part of Surrey.^[7]

In March 2017, station upgrades started on Surrey Central station to create two new entrances on the north side of the station at Central Avenue to reduce congestion. Accessibility and lighting will also be improved with three additional escalators and an elevator.^[8]

Station information

Surrey Central station is a transfer point for twenty-one TransLink bus routes that serve Surrey, White Rock, North Delta, Ladner, Tsawwassen, and Langley, the highest number of bus route connections at any station in the SkyTrain network, though that record is now shared with Coquitlam Central station since the Evergreen Extension opened. The station will serve as a major transfer point for the proposed Surrey LRT.

Entrances

The north entrance under construction in July 2018

• North entrances (Under construction): these entrances will be the newest for the station. Construction started in March 2017 to reduce congestion and to improve accessibility at the station.^[9]
• Rec Centre entrance (east) : located on City Parkway and serves access to the downtown Surrey, North Surrey Recreation Centre, Surrey City Centre Public Library and the City Hall. 96 B-Line stops are also located near this entrance.
• Bus Exchange entrance (southwest): located within the Surrey Central station bus exchange. An up escalator and stairs connect the bus exchange with the station platform via the concourse. This entrance is also serves the Central City Shopping Centre.

References

External links

• Surrey Central station map (PDF file)