July 15, 2025
RED FM News Desk
Surrey City Council on Monday approved the Engineering Department’s “Sidewalk Action Plan,” an initiative set to include 23 new projects over the next two years. This ambitious plan aims to significantly improve safe pedestrian access to 23 schools, 55 bus stops, and 23 parks across the city.
The city’s long-term goal is to add over 558 kilometers of new sidewalks within the next 50 years. Currently, Surrey faces a substantial sidewalk deficit: 63 kilometers of arterial and collector roads lack sidewalks entirely, 118 kilometers have only one sidewalk, and a staggering 377 kilometers of local roads have none at all.
Scott Neuman, Surrey’s General Manager of Engineering, noted in a corporate report that historically, B.C. cities didn’t require sidewalks as development progressed. This has made retrofitting existing roads challenging, especially in areas like Clayton, Tynehead, and Redwoods, where local roads show the most significant gaps in sidewalk coverage.
The city currently adds approximately seven to 10 kilometers of sidewalks annually. City staff estimate that completing the needed 558 kilometers will cost between $400 million and $500 million and take roughly 50 years to achieve.
Mayor Brenda Locke hailed the plan as “really good news,” emphasizing that the dedicated “road levy” will be instrumental in making the city more walkable and easily traversable for its residents.
Loading ...
