Unpacking Transit in Surrey: Citizen hosts panel discussion for riders

The Citizen and the group Movement are teaming up to present Unpacking Transit in Surrey – a free panel discussion on March 23 at the City Centre branch library.

“The Citizen is about more than just reporting the news,” said Chris Campbell, with the Citizen. “We’re opening up conversations on vital issues to the community. This event is a must for transit riders.”

Every day, 184,000 trips are taken on Surrey buses, and another 51,000 board at Surrey’s four SkyTrain stations. Imagine how much more congested Surrey’s streets would be without its remarkably high rates of transit usage. 

But transit in Surrey is about to go into overdrive.

Major projects are underway, including the Surrey-Langley SkyTrain extension and the Bus Rapid Transit along King George.

Several key plans that envision the future of transit in Surrey are also in development, including the Surrey Transportation Plan, the Surrey Transit Vision, the Official Community Plan update, and TransLink’s South of Fraser East Area Transport Plan.

Unpacking Transit in Surrey invites us to pause and take stock, giving transit users and residents clear answers on the future in Surrey.

What’s actually happening on the ground? How do all these moving pieces fit together? And most importantly, what kind of transit future do riders want/need?

The event will begin with a presentation by Movement, setting the stage with an overview of the current state of transit in Surrey and the needs of transit riders, before moving into a panel discussion featuring community leaders.

The discussion will be centered around individual riders’ stories, and panelists will be asked to react to a diverse set of riders’ stories from across the City of Surrey. 

The event runs from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. in room 120. There will be free childminding onsite and a meal will be provided – but only for those who register ahead of time to ensure an accurate meal count.

Admission: Free, register here.

The panel:

Annie Ohana is a proud public-school educator and Equity Department Head at LA Matheson Secondary. She is also the President of Sher Pride, which supports the queer South Asian community in Metro Vancouver.

Adrianna Spyker is the Indigenous relations manager on the Fraser River Tunnel Project and serves as Chair of Surrey’s Black, Africa, and Caribbean (BAC) Advisory Committee. With a background in public policy and community development, she advances community-informed solutions to address transportation access, food security and other social inequities. 

Aman Chandi (moderator) is the Director of Programs and Fundraising at Movement: Metro Vancouver Transit Riders. She draws on her urban studies, community engagement and strategic communications background to help riders share their experiences and push decision-makers toward more frequent buses, safer walking connections and more equitable investments south of the Fraser.

Surprising Stats about Surrey Transitthat will be discussed at the event:

Surrey’s buses alone move as many people as Atlanta’s entire transit network (regional population 1.7m), which includes a 77km subway.

Ridership growth on many routes in Surrey has been astounding. The 323, which serves 128 St, grew 18% in 2024 alone, and is up a total of 62% since 2019. The 310, which links Scott Road with Ladner, is up 120% in that time.

The top-six most overcrowded bus routes in the region are in Surrey: 393, 321, 335, 345, 503, and 501. Of the top 20 most overcrowded bus routes, 14 are in Surrey.

A City of Surrey survey for their 2026 Budget indicated that transportation was the number one priority among residents, higher than public safety.

Surrey’s busiest bus route, the R6, has about as much ridership as the entire Staten Island Railway in New York City. 

The R6 RapidBus was launched along Scott Road in 2024. It immediately became the 6th busiest bus route in the entire region. That year, ridership went up 22% over the pre-existing local bus route. 

Surrey’s only bus lanes are on RapidBus corridors, which is in stark contrast with other major cities which have bus lanes throughout.