I read with interest reporter Grace Kennedy鈥檚 article from Dec. 21, 2017 (鈥溾��).

The proposed development cost charge (DCC) went through a significant and inclusive region-wide consultation process beginning in 2016, after the Mayors鈥� Council identified it as a reasonable way of having 鈥済rowth pay for growth.鈥� We鈥檝e worked closely with staff and elected officials from across the region to ensure our municipal partners had the opportunity to provide input into the framework and rates for the DCC, which will help fund transit improvements in their regions.

The revenue from a DCC will be used exclusively to fund much-needed capital projects, including 56 Expo/Millennium Line cars and 24 Canada Line cars and upgrades to Expo/Millennium Line and Canada Line stations. It will also help fund more bus improvements, like those recently made to the 601 and 620 in Delta.

Our proposed rates for the DCC have been carefully researched. They鈥檒l be set at levels that will support transit expansion without influencing housing affordability nor future patterns of development. Importantly, affordable-rental housing projects will be excluded from the charge.

Next steps for TransLink include an approval from the province. Once that happens we will continue to work with key stakeholders and the development industry to finalize the structure and rates for the transit DCC.

Geoff Cross

Vice President, TransLink Planning and Policy