Proposed casino not accessible

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Driving to the proposed casino complex in South Surrey is a 27-minute trip from City Centre. This same trip would take at least three times as long by current transit options.

By placing such a large trip generator far away from the built-up city or any forms of reliable access other than a freeway, Gateway has not proposed a sustainable or accessible development for Surrey citizens.

The $3 million annually that the City of Surrey expects to raise from this proposal could be more than offset by the costs to provide this casino with reliable means of alternate transportation options (i.e. transit).

I am curious what part of this money might possibly be taken away from other pressing Surrey needs, such as the missing bus stop for the Port Mann/Highway 1 Rapid Bus.

To give everyone an idea of how much driving there is expected to be to this complex, a huge part of this proposal is a massive parkade – a seven-storey building dedicated exclusively for the storage of cars.

If the city claims (according to a brochure) that sustainability should involve reducing single-occupant vehicle use, then approving this proposal would be hypocrisy. In a city that is supposedly being lauded for attracting “sustainable development,” this complex will stick out like a sore thumb.

If the mayor and council were consistent and actually committed to the city’s sustainability practices, then they would not approve this casino being built here. They would be encouraging its construction on a more accessible and sustainable location.

Daryl Dela Cruz

Surrey