Local businesses and residents won't notice all the changes until after the 2010 Olympics, but several main road arteries in Surrey's designated downtown core have officially had their names changed.
King George Highway, Surrey's main north-south artery that runs from the Patullo Bridge linking Surrey and New Westminster to the U.S. border, has been renamed King George Boulevard. 135th Street, running from Gateway Skytrain Station to Central City Shopping Centre is now City Parkway. West Whalley Ring Road is now University Drive and East Whalley Ring Road is now Whalley Boulevard.
The change is part of the city's plan to transform the Whalley area into the city's new downtown core, which has been designated the second regional metropolitan centre in Metro Vancouver. The city has already announced plans to move its city hall to the area and is already constructing a new regional library there.
Signage for the affected streets won't be changed until after the Olympics since the marketing and public information for Surrey's 2010 Celebration Site in the city centre reference the old names.
The change became effective January 31, 2010, and businesses will have a year to update mailing addresses and business material before Canada Post stops recognizing the old names.